Le Fox Den: Chef-nin Naruto and the Taimanin
by SoulEmbrace2010
Summary: Naruto leaves Konoha and opens his own restaurant; and unwillingly dragged into the ever-growing conflict between the Taimanin, Demons, and the USF. What's a super ninja like Naruto to do; other than keeping all his limbs intact and having enough stamina to satisfy many girls of course? Well, live life as usual without the three factions wrecking his restaurant. Naruto/Harem
1. A Surprising Answer

**Welcoming Notes: **Hello, Soul here. Welcome to another new story, featuring Naruto, Taimanin Asagi, and Food Wars, requested by a reader/friend last year. Not much to say, as I've been up for like 48 hours, and I'm about to hit the hay.

Oh, and there will be lemons because Taimanins. And I have a poll up on my profile, so check that out too.

**Disclaimers:** I do not own Naruto, Taimanin Asagi, Food Wars, or any other crossover that'll appear.

**Special thanks** to Lucius Walker for co-writing and NSG for beta-ing this here story.

Enjoy our new story, and have a good night!

* * *

**[Land of Lightning]**

It was a tense and surprising few minutes.

Uchiha Sasuke , a traitor to Konohagakure, as well as the last living Uchiha in existence (aside from Obito and Madara), had just entered the battlefield - but not as their enemy.

Instead, he openly declared that he will fight for Konoha. His next statement, however, was quite shocking.

"And then I'll become Hokage."

Silence filled the air as everyone grew quite stunned at the Uchiha's declaration.

'_That's Naruto's goal!'_ Many of them thought.

'_How dare he just declare himself to be Hokage after everything he's done?!'_ Others thought, their expressions saying it all.

'_Where does he get the nerve?'_

However, what came out of Naruto's mouth in return to his rival's declaration was perhaps the most shocking thing that had happened today.

"...Okay."

"Eeeehhhhhhhh?" The rest of his friends looked at the blonde in shock.

"Uh, Naruto? Are you okay? Because it sounds like you're letting Sasuke take the Hokage role just like that; a goal that you've coveted for years." Shikamaru said.

"I'm fine, Shikamaru. Still, have you ever heard me even mention about becoming Hokage when I got back from my training trip?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"...No, we haven't. Not to mention that you've spent an awful lot of time working at Ichiraku Ramen and Yakiniku Q." Sakura said, looking over his shoulder as she healed him. "More so than before you left with Jiraiya-sama."

Contrary to everyone else, Sasuke looked quite interested at this turn of events. "Well, that's surprising. What changed, dobe?"

Naruto smiled. "I experienced a lot of things on my training trip with Ero-Sennin, teme. Things you wouldn't believe if I told you. And after I got my recognition from Konoha, I pretty much lost all interest in being Hokage, because now, I have a different goal in mind."

"...Which is?" Tenten finally asked.

"Simple. I'm going to open my own restaurant in Tokyo!" Naruto declared brightly.

"Wha-wha-wha-wwwhhhhhaaaattttttt?!" Everyone around Naruto yelled, with the latter having a cheshire-like smirk on his face.

* * *

_**Chapter 01 - "A Surprising Answer"**_

* * *

**[A New Dream, a few years ago…]**

Everyone remembers their first time.

...No, not _that_ first time.

To be more accurate, everyone remembers their first meal. Their first special meal that they love, and will love for the rest of their life.

For many people, their special meal would come from a parent's cooking, be it in the form of their special soup, pasta, salad, or steak.

However, in a nation full of war and death, many are left orphaned, and thus, many have never tasted their parents' cooking. This was especially the case for Naruto Uzumaki, who had never even tasted his own mother's milk.

That is not to say, though, that he didn't have his first, special meal.

Naruto found his meal when he was just a young child, a toddler, matter of fact. When he was three years old, the Third Hokage took him to Ichiraku Ramen, which was a small, barely noticeable restaurant that he had been too intimidated to enter. Being served the "Kushina Special," which was a ramen bowl named after his favorite customer from before, the minute it went past his lips, he would always come back for more for the rest of his life.

Looking back, he wasn't entirely sure if it was the food itself that kept luring him back, but rather, it was the fond memories that it gave him that made the food so tasty. Either way, from that day on, it become his favorite food.

He went to Ichiraku Ramen everyday to eat there. After a year, feeling indebted to the first few people who showed and gave him kindness, he begged for a job there every day until the owner finally hired him. Ever since then, every day after school, he would help clean the stand and cook in the back. He would quickly learn how ramen was made, and did his best to perfect the art. Sure, he made plenty of mistakes, but Naruto quickly learned from them in his determination to create the perfect bowl of ramen.

Even after Naruto acquired his headband, which was proof that he graduated from the Konoha Ninja Academy, he continued to work for Ichiraku Ramen, in between training and after doing missions, much to the surprise of others. Eventually, they told him that it would be best to quit the job, but Naruto stubbornly refused, his second loyalty appearing to be towards the ramen restaurant.

It went on like this for a while. Eventually, though, Naruto would be forced to quit his beloved second occupation for a while, due to the three years of training with Jiraiya-sensei.

For many of the people that Naruto knew, it would've seemed like the end of his cooking career - at least for a while. However, it would seem as if Lady Fate had her ways of making sure that Naruto never lost contact with the daily life of the kitchen.

* * *

**[Land of Lightning, Capital (A Year Before Leaving Konoha)]**

"**In third place, Uzumaki Naruto!"**

Naruto groaned as the audience's applause rang out around the stage. While Jiraiya was out and about doing "research", Naruto participated in a cooking competition. He entered the competition armed with his experience and knowledge of all the ramen recipes taught by his teacher, Teuchi, as well as other kinds of recipes outside ramen. After going through the ringer, Naruto made it to the final round and unleashed his best ramen recipe in an all-or-nothing bid to win.

Needless to say, he managed to win third place.

"Well, it's better than nothing…" Naruto murmured to himself, tuning out as the first place winner was announced, leading to bigger cheers and hoots.

After he shook the winner's hand, he and the rest of the inspiring chefs made their way off the stage. If they would've stayed, they would've saw a large man coming on stage, eyeing the dishes.

…

"Right, so where did I go wrong, dattebayo?"

Naruto was chewing on his pen as he laid on his bed, an open cookbook propped up on his knees. Reading a few lines, he made a few notes in his notebook, and tapped his pen on his lip.

The blonde remembered when he tasted the first two winners' dish when they brought it to the back, and compared it to his own. The dishes in question were a high-quality Beef Wellington resting on Soba noodles, and a Potato-Topped Ground Beef Skillet.

He recalled the differences, and remembered how the beef and soba noodles were rich in flavor without it being overpowering. His own ramen was good, but wasn't as rich, especially when compared to the first placed winner's Beef Wellington.. Sure, his noodles were chewy, but Naruto's ramen kinda stuck on the teeth, which is always annoying, even to Naruto himself. And yes, his beef was tasty, but Naruto's hadn't been marinated enough.

"I still have a lot to learn." Naruto mused, and set his books to the side. "Man, I'm getting more pumped up from cooking than from working hard to become Hokage!"

He sighed, and looked around the room he and Jiraiya were staying in. "Ero-Sennin should've been back by now-huh?"

He caught a scent that caused him to bolt up from his bed. "Hold on, that's the smell of my dish from the competition!"

Tracking the scent to the window, he opened it, and ran up to the roof. Much to his surprise, he saw a man waiting for him, holding his creation in his hands.

"It's interesting if I do myself. The standards of cooking-nin here. They're quite different from the mainland. Then again, they don't know about the world of true culinary. If they did, things would be much more refined, just like your ninja skills."

"And who are you? And what are you doing with my dish?" Naruto asked, sizing the individual up.

The individual in question was an elderly man with long, spiky gray hair with a mustache and a beard. He had a scar on his right eye running diagonally from the middle of his forehead down to just above his right cheekbone. He wore an olive-colored yukata and geta sandals.

"Admiring it. After all, out of all three of the dishes I sampled, this one caught my eye. Sure, it could be better, but the major difference is that it showed me that the chef who made this wanted to truly test his skills, instead of solely focusing on winning." The man said as he walked up to Naruto. "And as I look at you, I see raw, untapped potential that you're willing unleash."

"I...see? Thanks?" Naruto stepped back a little, clearly baffled at the man's statement. "Mister…?"

The man smirked. "Apologies, my boy. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Nakiri Senzaemon, Headmaster and Director of the Tōtsuki Teahouse Culinary Academy. We're about to start a new school year in a month from now." He pulled out a letter from his robes. "For this particular year, I have journeyed across the Elemental Countries in search of people with potential, and after months of searching, I have found you, amongst others. Please, join my school."

Naruto hesitantly took the letter and opened it, finding the Headmaster's seal and words of approval. "What's in it for me?"

"Fame, fortune, prestige. The title of the best; the greatest up-and-coming chef in the world. Besides, I can see it in your eyes: The desire to cook. To create, to become an artist that helps bring joy through the stomach rather than through taking lives and doing other people's dirty work. To become something more than a common mercenary." Senzaemon stated, staring at the young blonde with intense eyes of passion.

"...Well, nothing wrong with being both." Naruto said, standing up to the Headmaster. "But yeah, I do want to be a great chef, as well as a great ninja. A great chef that makes people happy, and a great ninja to protect those I care about. That's my goal."

"Heh, it's sounds like-"

"Yes, I accept your invitation! I, Uzumaki Naruto, shall enroll in your school dattebayo!"

* * *

**[Land of Lightning (Present Time)]**

"**This…can't be…happening…"**

Black Zetsu, the parasitic creature who orchestrated everything wrong with the ninja world, was currently being grinded into the ground under a ninja sandal.

Everything had gone beautifully as planned. Many years of careful planning, the black creature did, taking advantage of the flaws of man. A whisper of influence here, a few manipulations of thought and info there, a bit of control here, and the people began to dance at the palm of his hands.

It all started when he tempted the eldest son of the Sage of Six-Paths, Otsutsuki Indra, which gave birth to the Curse of Hatred that plagued one half of the Sage's legacy.

It took so many years of planning and waiting to get to this moment, but Zetsu was patient. Zetsu was the manifestation of Kaguya's will, with the sole purpose of him bring back the goddess. And after so many years, it finally happened.

"**So why?"**

Uchiha Obito and Uchiha Madara, his most unwitting, yet powerful pawns, were nothing but smoldering corpses on the battlefield. Their usefulness now gone, they were stripped of everything, from their strength, to their jutsu and their eyes. Not that it mattered, for the Juubi had finally returned, followed by the revival of his mother, Kaguya. Now that she was back, the Infinite Tsukuyomi can finally consume the world, creating a true utopia, with Kaguya as the Earth's one, true goddess.

"**...Why?"**

Centuries, generations of planning, ruined in one day, in the span of an hour. The Juubi, the progenitor of chakra and the most powerful creature in existence, was no more. It's body turned into soil which returned to Earth. And Kaguya, the Princess and Matriarch of the celestial Otsutsuki clan, was nowhere to be found.

"**WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!"** Black Zetsu screamed, looking up in hatred at the indifferent blonde in front of him.

When the Uzumaki entered the battlefield to help the Allied Shinobi Alliance, things went south for the black blob. Donning the role of frontline support, he helped wiped out the Zetsu fodder before turning his attention to the two Uchiha, one of them which was responsible for the death of his parents. But Zetsu wasn't worried, for the combined might of the ancient Uchiha and his student would be more than enough to rid the world of one measly Uzumaki. Especially one who wants to be a _chef_ over a Hokage, as laughable as that was.

But it's apparent that there were some things he didn't know about the Uzumaki that ultimately led to his downfall.

"Quite simply really." Naruto responded, digging his heel further into the blob. "One: You, like everyone else, underestimate me. Two: A ninja never reveals their secrets until the last minute. And three: I want to open my own restaurant soon, and I can't do it with you guys running amuck, dattebayo."

"**That's why…you ruined everything?! Absorbed the strength of the revived former Hokages after we dealt with them? Absorbed the powers of Madara, Obito, the Juubi, and sealed the Tailed Beasts and Kaguya inside yourself? All for A FUCKING RESTAURANT?!"** Black Zetsu roared, struggling beneath his foot.

Naruto smirked, his newly assimilated Rinne-Sharingan flashing momentarily. "Why not?"

"**GO TO HELL!"**

"You first."

With that, Naruto stomped his foot, turning him into a splattered smear on the ground. He smirked, looking at the sun mark in his hand, before clenching it.

Just because he was focused on his cooking life, didn't mean that he neglected the shinobi one. No, he made sure to do both, multitasking by studying both arts and exercising to keep in shape. How?

Shadow Clones.

The minute he learned the Shadow Clone technique from a very young age, all thanks to the Kyuubi and his naturally high Uzumaki chakra, he was destined for greatness from the very beginning.

It really helped after learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu from seeing one of his ANBU protectors do it, and learning its secrets when he graduated.

In the three-year training period that Jiraiya made him go through, his strength level grew exponentially. What especially helped was when he argued relentlessly to Jiraiya about being determined to go to this cooking class, Jiraiya then told him the secret with the Shadow Clone techniques (the one where whatever they learn, he learns as well).

Ever since then, he was _unstoppable_. Whenever he wasn't training as a shinobi, he abused the life-hack for cooking. Reading became a piece of cake when he realized that he could duplicate himself, have them change into random people, and then read the cookbooks, the health regulations, etc. Practice became infinitely easier, once he had his trusty Shadow Clone to help.

He had to learn how to make ratatouille? Make one Shadow Clone, have him cook the damn thing with the cookbook in front of him, have him do his best, then after evaluating the result, he'll make another one to do it again.

The best part (well, okay, not really) was that he was his own judge.

You would think that when making a clone, you would be the exact same, and thus, you would be biased to your own work, right? Well, not really.

For one, you are your own worst critic, which is especially true when it comes to your own clones judging your own work. Then there was the fact that they seem to develop their own tastes and personality after existing long enough, which raised some red flags for him, and he had to make sure to terminate his clones before they began to realize that they wanted to stay alive. Aside from that little issue though, he learned how to become his own unbiased judge of his work, which is how he learned from his mistakes.

If that's how he managed to kickass in cooking school, imagine how much he accomplished as a shinobi, especially after visiting the Uzumaki Shrine near Konoha, as well as Uzushiogakure. Honestly, learning about his heritage and his secret family's history is what motivated him to stay in the shinobi business; to learn his family's history, as well as his family's culture, their significance in the shinobi world, and Fūinjutsu, the Art of Sealing.

Again, he had his Shadow Clones to help learn Fūinjutsu. The danger of learning how to make an exploding tag became irrelevant when he had his Shadow Clones to be the "noble sacrifices." Did he want to learn an ancient Uzumaki Sealing Technique that would essentially act as a superbomb? Just send a clone about three miles away to do the job, and hope it doesn't fuck up.

The other cool thing that came with spamming Shadow Clones was his body constantly needing to regenerate chakra. When this became an issue, his body, like everyone else who constantly exhausted their chakra via training, became to adapt, learning to develop more chakra to compensate for the future loss of it, in a way akin to bodybuilding.

So what did that mean? Naruto now has the chakra equivalent to three Kages. Add that with his natural longevity and inhuman amounts of energy, and he could fight for up to six days straight before he starts to run out of chakra.

"War…over." Naruto sighed and sat on the ground. He gazed at all the fallen bodies scattered around the battlefield, as well as the bodies stuck in the cocoons, and frowned. "I should've been out here to begin with, not locked in a temple on top of a fucking turtle, dattebayo!"

His teammates (along with the Bijuu inside him), were staring at him with wide eyes and varying degrees of shock. They were the only witnesses to his incredible feat of not only obliterating the Zetsu army, but for greatly helping them defeat Kaguya (which, if Sakura had to be honest, really made her feel weak compared to them, and she can shatter the fucking ground like a certain Egyptian God Card.). The only reason why the thousands of others in the Allied Shinobi Forces weren't gaping like fishes was because they were stuck in the God Tree Madara left behind in Infinite Tsukuyomi. If they were out right now, they would also be in complete shock as well.

For the past two days, the Allied Shinobi Force wished for a miracle, one that could end the war swiftly. Morale fell quickly when Madara summoned those two meteors to devastate them. It shot down even further when Madara and Obito managed to trump the four revived Hokages, who left their power and skills to an arriving Naruto before they crumbled to dust.

Naruto let out a breath and looked behind him to his team, only now noticing their stares. "What?"

"That was…amazing. It's like you were Sensei and your mother combined. Hell, you may as well surpassed them!" Kakashi nearly babbled, looking at his student with pride.

"Jeez, it wasn't just me, so don't sell yourself short, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said, turning to him. "I was just frontline support. You guys capitalized on the openings I gave you. I landed the final blows, but everyone else played an important role in defeating the enemy as well."."

"Yeah. We did." Sakura nodded in agreement. "But it'll be hard for people to believe that a single shinobi who wishes to become a chef made all this happen. Maybe if you still held onto your dream of being Hokage-"

"Sakura, being a Hokage was just a desire born from wanting to be acknowledged by everyone as more than a Jinchuuriki. When I returned from training with the Toads and defeated Pein, I finally received that acknowledgement I worked so hard for. Slowly but surely, the desire to become Hokage was buried by my new desire to be a chef and open my own restaurant." Naruto admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "And now that the Akatsuki and Kaguya's gone, and now that my parents are properly avenged, I can focus on that goal."

"Heh, you really have changed, dobe." Sasuke actually smiled a little. "And to think I almost ended your dream when you took that poison kunai meant for Sakura."

"Not like you cared anyway, teme. The only reason I went after Sakura was to prevent her from doing she would never have the heart to do." Naruto countered, making Sakura look chagrined.

"...Whatever."

"Now now you two. Save your bickering after you two free the survivors from the God Tree. Remember, they'll become Zetsu if left long enough!" Kakashi snapped at them. "The power you both received from the Sage should be enough before his spirit finally passed on."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "That's right. Hinata and others are waiting for you to free them."

"I know, I'm on it, dattebayo." Naruto said, already walking to the God Tree. "Come on, teme. Let's go. After all, I promised Hinata and her sister another date."

"...I suppose so. But first…"

The sound of chirping birds caught Naruto's ear, making him groan.

"I'm going to execute the Five Kage that are still inside the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and take the Bijuu sealed inside you, dobe."

Naruto sighed. "Is that right-URK?!"

"No!" Sakura screamed in horror as Sasuke suddenly plunged his hand through Naruto's back.

"Sasuke, what the hell are you doing?!" Kakashi roared in anger as Naruto spat out blood. "Is this why you rejoined us, to get back at Naruto?"

"Not at all- well, something like that, Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke replied coolly. "I once desired destruction, revenge, and to prove that the Uchiha are this world's true gods. But things are different now, now that I know the truth of this world. What is destroyed can always be rebuilt, free from the clutches of darkness. No more shinobi, no more samurai, no more beasts to roam the lands. What I desire is now out of mere selflessness, a revolution of this world."

"So…what's your answer to…learning the truth, Sasuke?" Naruto choked out.

"The clans are not the invincible gods I was led to believe by my father. This was especially evident when you helped down Obito and Madara so easily after they dispatched me." Sasuke said, and turned his hand in Naruto's back to cause pain. "Naruto, I'm going to destroy and rebuild this world, and it starts with the deaths of the Five Kage and the Bijuu. That, regrettably, includes you, the sole Jinchuuriki of all the Bijuu. That, and…you'll just be in my way."

Naruto snorted, and made a one-handed sign. "Okay, boomer."

Sasuke's eyes widened, and he leaped back just as 'Naruto' exploded.

"What?!" Sasuke frowned, lightly bothered by his burnt fingertips. "That's Itachi's move-"

**CRACK**

Sasuke was then kicked in the side of his head and sent skipping along the ground. Despite him blocking the blow with his arms, it was still strong enough to send the (now truly) last Uchiha flying.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried out, seeing the real one appear out of nowhere.

'_I see! Before the Chidori hit him, Naruto instantly summoned a Shadow Clone and Substituted himself with it!'_ Kakashi realized, looking surprised. _'But…there was an orange flash, easy to miss! Did…he enhance the Substitution Jutsu with his father's Hiraishin?!'_

"Just to let you know, Sasuke," Naruto sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "I am really not looking forward to making history rhyme by reenacting the Brother's feud. You wanna take over the village? Fine, whatever, who gives a shit? All I want is to focus on the future, which looks like a new restaurant filled with happy customers and hopefully sexy women. But you plan on getting in the way of _that_ with your stupid revolution, so…"

He reached into his palm where a storage seal was located, and pulled out a large, purely silver colored sword from it. The sword, which was contained in a small seal in his arm, was a rapier in design, designed for not just thrusting and slashing with its thin, but also wide and strong blade, with its hilt designed in a pattern resembling a gust of wind and a flow of water.

This sword, which was more European in design than Asian, was built by Naruto himself, using the techniques he'd learned from his fallen clan's vault. The sword was one of a kind, responding only to its creator, as well as his elements.

Sasuke gritted his teeth. _'Damn, I knew he'd try something, but I never expected that move! Had I not ripped my hand away, I would've lost it for good! That damn kick didn't do it any favors either.'_

"The Second Hokage's sword is too good for you, and I doubt he would want it stained with the blood of an Uchiha." Naruto stated, and pointed his unique blade at Sasuke. "So you'll have to make due with my masterpiece."

"Dream on, Naruto." Sasuke said, unsheathing his chokuto, the Sword of Kusanagi. "If it's a battle of swords, I have already won. But before we continue, shall we move this fight to where this all started? You know, you-know-where?"

"No." Naruto simply replied.

"Seriously?" Sasuke looked genuinely surprised. "I thought you would want to go full circle."

"Hell no. Because once I finish throwing your sorry ass all over this place, I'll have to free everyone myself, since you won't do it."

"You really are an idiot. You do realize you need me to free them. What makes you think you can do it by yourself with one half of the Sage's power?"

"Well…" Naruto gave an eerie smirk that make Sasuke frown. "Where's the fun in telling you that?"

Naruto and Sasuke then walked to the side, away from Sakura and Kakashi. Sasuke didn't take his eyes off Naruto, and was irked when Naruto didn't do the same, as if in deep thought. When they were far enough, Naruto finally looked at Sasuke with narrowed eyes.

"Must you two really fight?" Sakura asked her two teammates, before being held back by Kakashi.

"Don't interfere." He said solemnly, having a feeling of what's going to happen, and that it might not take long.

"This is between us." Sasuke said, before he and Naruto got into their fighting stances.

"And it ends here." Naruto growled, activating his Six Paths Sage Mode.

"Okay, let's dance!" Sasuke declared, activating his Rinnegan and Sharingan.

They charged at each other, their blades raised in the air. With a loud CLANG!, the two blades met each other as their owners glared at each other, their wills equal, with neither willing to bend. They clashed again, this time countering and parrying each other's strikes and slashes in an effort to get the upper hand.

Both shinobi were even, however, and at the moment, none could harm each other. This would've been the case forever, though, since in a fight for one's hopes and dreams clash, there can only be one winner.

And that winner was slowly becoming obvious as time went on.

* * *

_After the Uchiha Massacre, Sasuke became much like his fallen clan. Full of himself and often times an arrogant bastard, thanks to the natural talent his eyes had to offer, he was much like his father in many ways. The fact that the village pretty much babied him after this clan's massacre didn't really help with his attitude. Much like his ancestors and his father, Sasuke craved power, and seemingly cared less on how to obtain it. _

_Initially, he wanted power so that he can take revenge on his brother, who had slaughtered his village. Then, he desired power so that he could destroy the village after learning the truth behind his clan's massacre. And now, he desired the ultimate power: The power to destroy the world, and to remake it in his image. _

_But like all paths, there was often an obstacle that stood in its way, with the final one being, once again, Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto Uzumaki, the deadlast that was always caught reading cookbooks in class. Naruto Uzumaki, who, despite being a failure, had the ridiculous dream of becoming the Hokage. Naruto Uzumaki, the blond idiot who seemed to always get in his way, who always, always would be a pain in his ass. _

_Decent in physical courses, but a complete failure in the written ones, he somehow had the audacity to declare that he was going to become Hokage. From there, his interest in the blond only grew (no, not that way), as he began to learn that he was perhaps ironically the only one that deserved his attention. While Sasuke eventually grew tired from his training, Naruto would always seem to have a lot more energy to spare. While Sasuke always struggled everyday to get better, Naruto would seemingly grow at the same pace as he did, despite him being a constant failure in the Academy._

_Arguably, it was after their graduation that Sasuke really began to pay attention to the blond. Sure, he was still a goofball, and a bloody idiot, but there were times that he would show a surprising amount of maturity, which would always take him by surprise. During the mission to Wave, it was Naruto who was more focused on protecting Tazuna, while he was admittedly more focused on besting Haku. Between the two, Naruto followed the mission parameters to the letter more than himself, and still had the time to read cookbooks and practice cooking (something which he actually rocked at, he couldn't lie.) _

_It was because of these accomplishments that Sasuke was finally starting to pay attention to Naruto, ignoring his hobby of cooking and focusing on the fact that he defeated Haku instead of him. Sasuke wanted to fight him outright, but Naruto working at Ichiraku Ramen put a damper on his plans. He would have his chance in the Chunin Exam, but that was derailed thanks to the Invasion. And then there was the fact that Naruto had, once again, defeated an opponent that he couldn't defeat, which was not just Gaara, but the bastard that had stolen the Sword of the Second Hokage, which the blond had kept as a trophy afterwards._

_Did that hurt his pride? Oh, yes. _

_So to finally see who was stronger, he challenged Naruto, with their duel taking place on the roof of the Konoha Hospital, until they were both interrupted by Kakashi. Looking at the obliterated water tank that Naruto's technique had done, compared to the Chidori's measly damage to the tank Sasuke hit, the fight was all it took for Sasuke to leave Konoha and take Orochimaru's offer. Orochimaru's minions took him across the country, with the Sound Four being defeated one by one, until he finally popped out of the casket they sealed him in, feeling much better than ever. It was then that he and Naruto had their rematch, with him coming out as the victor this time. And with that, he left to eat the forbidden fruit the snake had offered him. _

_The Uchiha leeched off the Sannin over the past three years, acquiring enough power to overthrow the snake and to finally defeat his brother, and anyone else that stood in his way, even Naruto. So when Konoha came for him, he was ready to dominate his rival as a stepping stone on his path to revenge._

_Imagine his surprise when the blond didn't seem very interested in amusing him, choosing to instead stay back unless his teammates was in danger, with Sai, the guy whose skin rivaled Orochimaru's in terms of paleness, being the only one to make any real effort to try to capture him. Naruto, on the other hand, put in minimal effort, and merely just assisted his friends, only putting in some effort when Sasuke was trying to murder his teammates. Everytime they clashed, though, Naruto always seemed to have the slightest of edges. _

_And even after all this time, it seemed no different than before. _

* * *

Sasuke growled as metal only hit metal once again, with the black-haired man trying to land a hit on Naruto, only for him to parry and tag him back with counters. It was like fighting the wind, and it was infuriating to the Uchiha, whose burning inferno of desire for the revolution was continuously being doused by the crashing waves that was the Uzumaki's hopes and dreams. Over all, it was like a repeat of their prior battles, only this time, Naruto was giving less shit about the situation than ever.

What really got his goat was the fact that he wasn't using any of the Tailed Beasts' power, which meant that he didn't need them.

"Ya know Uchiha, if you would actually try training for once instead of absorbing power like a black hole, your attacks would hit closer to home." Naruto taunted, parrying a horizontal attack and countering with a somersault kick that sent Sasuke skidding back on his feet.

"You won't stop me from rebuilding this world, Uzumaki. It's a long time coming and everything needs to change." Sasuke said, leaping forward and deadlocking with Naruto. "You will fall in line like the others!"

His Rinnegan flashed, prompting Naruto to duck as an unseen attack sailed over his head. Sasuke capitalized with a quick Fireball Jutsu to send a burning Naruto flying, only for the latter to disappear.

"That's getting old, Uzumaki." Sasuke growled, spotting Naruto landing to the side. "But considering that jutsu is to combat your loneliness, it's understandable why you gravitate towards it."

Naruto scoffed, twirling his blade between his fingers. "Goes to show that as usual, you know nothing about me, Uchiha. Unlike you, I'm never alone."

Naruto then used the Hiraishin, reappearing in the same spot. He thrusted his sword towards his old rival, only for his sword to hit air. "Heh, Madara's Limbo jutsu. The same trick won't work twice, ya know?"

"I only used it once, dobe. And I'm not Madara."

"No, but I can still sense and hit them, idiot!"

Naruto proceeded to evade the incoming attacks from Sasuke's clones hidden in a different dimension, and slashed them all away. This allowed Sasuke to move in close, coating his blade with his Chidori for a lethal stab. Naruto used Hiraishin to dodge, appearing above Sasuke unleashed a swarm of Chakra Chains coated in Sage Chakra, stabbing and killing the clones hidden in Limbo.

Sasuke appeared behind him for a fatal stab, only for Naruto to sense him in time and block the attempt with his own sword. They both fell to the ground, still deadlocked. Sasuke then twisted Naruto arm, slipping under it to hold his wrist in place, and pushed his blade towards Naruto's sword in an effort to disarm him. Naruto growled, and punched Sasuke multiple times in his kidney area. Sasuke gritted his teeth, blocking out the pain as he increased the pressure. Naruto's Chakra Chains then shot themselves towards the Uchiha, forcing the latter to warp away. Sasuke reappeared with a Chidori, thrusting it towards the back of Naruto in the chains' blindspots.

Naruto spun on the spot, evading the Chidori and socking him in the jaw. Shaking it off, Sasuke kicked the blond away with a spinning thrust kick. Naruto used the momentum to flip away as Sasuke closed in on the blond.

In a blink of an eye, Naruto suddenly disappeared, using Hiraishin to teleport above the Uchiha, swinging his sword down to take off his head. Sasuke blocked the deadly swing in time, and smirked as he channeled his Chidori through the sword. Much to his displeasure, however, Naruto's Chakra Cloak protected him from the electricity. The blond smirked back at him, until a purple glow began to grow around the Uchiha. Recognizing the technique, Naruto quickly put some distance between the two as Sasuke's Susanoo Armor grew. Feeling the damage the Susanoo managed to inflict on him, Naruto retaliated by forming a chakra fist, punching the Susanoo in the chest, knocking him back a few feet.

"Enough of this." Naruto said, and formed his favorite hand seal. **"Taijuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"**

Numerous copies of Naruto in his Sage Chakra Cloak came to life, with all of them wielding his unique sword, ready to face down Sasuke. He pointed his sword at Sasuke, and the army of Shadow Clones charged towards the Uchiha. Sasuke smirked and proceeded to mow down the army with his Susanoo's blade, the sword bathed with electric energy. Smooth as silk and never missing a beat, Sasuke struck down the clones with a single slash, stab, and thrust, even taking down multiple clones with his Chidori Current. In melee combat, he even made hand seals to decimate the clones with his devastating fire jutsus.

Despite Sasuke easily destroying the clones, his frown only grew uglier as he began to realize that the onslaught was refusing to stop. Even the Shadow Clones were duplicating themselves, which caused Sasuke to slowly face more ants to crush. In hand-to-hand combat, they were forcing him to do hand seals as they connected hands to use their own jutsus. Even some of the clones detonating themselves when near death, knocking him around and beginning to create gaps in his Susanoo Armor. What made the situation even worse was that he was unable to locate the real Naruto during the assault the entire time, even with his powerful eyes.

"Show yourself, Uzumaki!" Sasuke roared, lacing his Chidori Current with the black flames of Amaterasu, and stabbed his sword into the ground. "**Amaterasu!**"

Rivers and tendrils of black flames surrounded Sasuke and incinerated the clones. Before they went poof, the clones dropped smoke bombs that exploded, and blinded Sasuke.

"Cheap tricks won't stop me, Uzumaki!" Sasuke growled, using his eyes to see through the orange smoke. "Wait, what?!"

Naruto smirked outside the smoke area, a Rasengan in hand. "But that's what makes us ninja! And me? All those years away and you forgot what I'm all about!"

Sasuke's ears twitched, and saw multiple Rasenshurikens zoomed towards him. He jumped and dodged all five of them, but one of them knocked his sword out of his hands. "Yeah, and what's that dobe? Your insignificant worth to the world-Gah?!"

He suddenly found himself unable to move. Looking down, he saw that he was bound with threads of Sage chakra that slipped through the cracks of his Susanoo Armor. His eyes widened and turned to look at the Rasenshuriken, which then dispitated into regular Demon Wind Shuriken.

"Before I became a Chef-nin-"

Naruto reappeared in front of Sasuke, his appearance blowing the orange smoke away.

"I was Konoha's Number One Hyperactive Knucklehead Prankster Ninja, dattebayo!"

"Naruto!" Sasuke roared, managing to yank one arm free.

Both punched at each other, and their fists collided violently, creating a shockwave. Much to his surprise, Naruto suddenly created a unique hand seal using his and Sasuke's fingers, much to his surprise.

"Sasuke." Naruto suddenly said in a neutral voice. "It's over."

"What?" Sasuke suddenly felt himself growing weaker, as if his strength was leaving his body. "What is this? What are you doing?!"

The Uchiha looked up at Naruto, who held a smirk on his face as the latter held the strange hand seal in place. Sasuke stared at the hand seal, and suddenly remembered where he had seen it before. It was brief moments, but he remembered how Naruto's Shadow Clones manage to briefly initiate different hand seals on him whenever he would summon his fire jutsus. His eyes widened in realization at what it led to, he tried to free himself from the blond's grip, but it was too late.

Naruto's victorious smirk soon melted into a weary sigh of resignation. "Before Grandpa Sage departed, he left me with the knowledge on how to neutralize you, should you ever go rogue like this. Despite everything, he still believed in you because you were his son reborn, and thus, you were given another chance. However, he admitted that there was this small chance that you might pull this kind of shit, seeing the darkness still left within you. Hence why he taught me how to take his power back from you."

"No, don't you dare do this, damn you!" Sasuke shouted, trying to release the hold. "My revolution! It has to be done!"

"I honestly would've been okay with the revolution, but then you had to throw in the part about killing those I cared about." Naruto replied simply as he formed a Rasengan. "And whenever you threaten the lives of my loved ones, or the world in which we live in in general, it becomes my business."

"So what are you going to do? Take my place as this world's ruler?!" Sasuke snarled, his Rinnegan fading. "People won't stand for it! _I_ won't sand for it! You hear me?!"

Naruto just chuckled as several smaller Rasengans orbited around his primary one. "Man, when you don't listen, you _really_ don't listen, don't you? In case you weren't listening, I had other dreams in mind than ruling over the nations or whatever."

Sasuke spat. "Oh yeah? And what's that, dobe?"

"Simple, really." Naruto grinned in response, his two blue Rinne-Sharingans forming in his eyes. "And it's a lot better than your sorry excuse for revenge."

Sasuke roared in rage as he coated his arm in Susanoo's Armor, using the last of his energy to punch Naruto. The latter moved, releasing the hold, and plunged his Planetary Rasengan into Sasuke's gut. With an explosive whirling of energy and winds, Sasuke was sent rocketing away and crashed into the God Tree.

"Running a goddamned restaurant."

When the jutsu ended, Sasuke let out a small groan as he slid down the huge tree.

"Right," Naruto looked at his hand where the sign of the moon was imprinted, and clenched it. "That's enough time wasted."

With both halves of the Sage's chakra within him, Naruto proceeded to free everyone from the God Tree.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura murmured, walking towards him. "It was a bit much, but at least he's okay."

Kakashi snorted. "For now. Considering that he turned against the Alliance, among other things, he'll have to spend some time in the Konoha Strict Correctional Facility."

"I know." Sakura nodded. "But in a way, Naruto did bring Sasuke-kun back to me."

'_Something tells me it was more for his future restaurant than for a promise, Sakura.'_ Kakashi mumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Scratch that off the checklist." Naruto said, his clones catching the captives of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, while Hinata fell into his arms. "Hope Hanabi-chan is okay too…"

After two full days, the Fourth Shinobi World War was finally over.

* * *

**[Konoha, (A Month Later)]**

"I'm gonna miss this place."

Naruto zipped his suitcase up and looked around his empty apartment. It was his place of living for years, and how it was time to let it go. After all, with the way his restaurant will be designed, there will be living place that'll practically be his new home. He then closed his open briefcase full of cooking tools, various sealing scrolls, and other items, and left with both briefcase and suitcase in hand. After dropping his keys off to the landlord, Naruto made his way to the Hokage Tower.

"Hard to believe a month has passed already," Mused the Fifth Hokage, Senju Tsunade. "And now today's the day you depart for good."

"Not exactly for good. I'll still drop by to visit from time to time." Naruto assured her, before handing her his headband. "Here, keep it for safe-keeping?"

Tsunade shook her head. "I accept your resignation, but not your headband. Keep it."

Naruto shrugged. "Okay then," he said, pocketing it. "Where's Shizune?"

"I gave her the day off. So where exactly will you be staying? In case any of us want to visit." Tsunade asked him.

"I bought some land in Tokyo, in a riverside town with a pretty nice view. It had an abandoned warehouse and nobody was auctioning it, so I grabbed it." Naruto replied.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "It must've cost a fortune. How'd you do it?"

Naruto smirked. "I did more than training with Ero-Sennin and attend that cooking school. I attended martial arts tournaments, learned how to take out stocks, and even swarmed the casino with clones under different fake identities. The last one was fun, as most of those identities are either outright banned and/or have a kill-on-sight order on them."

Tsunade blinked in shock. "Wish I thought of that. Spare a coin for your godmother?"

"Hey, you're the Hokage. Shouldn't you have thought of that before me? That's why you should never drink a lot, kinda like how you did at my-" Naruto teased, before dodging the paperweight thrown at him.

"You know, that mouth of yours might get you in a lot of trouble." Tsunade growled, her eye twitching.

"Hinata and Hanabi disagrees, so I think I'll be fine." Naruto countered with a cheesy grin.

"Whatever, just get outta here already ya knucklehead."

Tsunade tried to not show it, but it was clear as day that she was going to miss him. Giving her a warm smile, he suddenly enveloped her in a hug.

"I'll be alright, Granny."

"You take care, my little gaki of a godson."

After breaking away from the hug, Naruto departed the Hokage Tower. He walked through the village, rebuilt from Pein's Invasion, taking in the sights with a smile. Everyone was happy, and everything was peaceful. Naruto felt like he'd accomplished everything he set out to do, and how it was time for the next chapter in his life.

When he got to the gate, he stopped and sighed at the two figures waiting for him.

"Hey, Naruto-kun." Hinata greeted him, walking up to him with suitcase in hand.

"Somehow, I knew you I see you two before I left." He said with a smile. He then raised an eyebrow at the second young woman. "I understand you wanting to come with me Hinata-chan, but you too, Hanabi-chan? Who'll be the new head of the Hyūga clan after Hiashi?"

"I dunno." Hanabi stuck her tongue at him. "And I don't care. Let's just go, before they throw a hissy fit."

'_It'll probably be Neji, as he has all the potential in the world. Good thing I prevented him from making the sacrifice play by switching him with a Shadow Clone.'_ Naruto thought, giving himself a mental pat on the back. "Even if I told you both no, you'll still follow."

"You know me too well," Hinata demurred, though her smile held more than a hint of steel. "I was once told to follow my dreams, no matter what stood in my way. That's why I'm here. I want to be with you, no matter what."

"Yeah, me too." Hanabi said, suddenly hugging Naruto's arm. "Also, you're not the only one here that think's your ass looks nice."

"Hanabi!" Hinata squeaked, face reddening.

"Well at ease, little lady." Naruto laughed, and offered his other arm to Hinata. "We'll have all the time in the world-"

"Naruto!"

Naruto turned around to see Shizune and those he was close to: from the other Rookies, Kakashi and the Jonin instructors, the Ichiraku family, Konohamaru and his corps, Tsunade and the Clan Heads, and his own little fanbase. They waved happily towards the trio, seeing them off.

"Good luck!"

"We'll be rooting for ya!"

"See you later!"

"Come back soon!"

Naruto smiled and waved back. "Thank you, everyone!"

With that, Naruto and the Hyūga sisters departed Konoha.

* * *

**[Naruto's Restaurant, Tokyo (A Few Days Later)]**

"Whoa! It's huge!" Hanabi squealed, looking amazed.

Naruto smirked at her reaction. "It's being retrofitted to seat as many people as possible."

"It looks amazing, Naruto." Hinata praised in an admiring tone.

While only half-built so far, the three-story warehouse that was being converted into a restaurant was coming along quite nicely. The building was currently being painted with many different colors, with dark orange notably being the common one. Naruto made sure to cover almost every inch of his future restaurant with elaborate, oriental designs. Naruto also had another plot of land that was being made into a parking structure for patrons.

"When I went to Tōtsuki Academy, I visited many restaurants, big and small, and took some inspiration. The inside will be just as impressive as the outside." Naruto boasted to the Hyūga girls. "Speaking of, let me show you."

Naruto led Hinata and Hanabi inside, weaving through the workers. "The first floor will have public dining areas, with a view of the kitchens that'll allow the patrons to see the chefs hard at work. Take out is also an option, in case you had too much to eat, as well as delivery. This way."

He led them up to one of the two sets of stairs, which split off from either side. Both led to the second floor, where there were balconies that overlooked the first one, which was supported by pillars. "Here on the second floor is where the private patrons, or the VIPs, will be dining. Like the first floor, they'll also have the view of the kitchens that will be located up here as well."

"Sounds like you thought of everything. You want patrons of all wage classes here." Hinata noted, seeing what Naruto was going for.

"Something tells me that you're going to be serving more than ramen, right?" Hanabi guessed with a sly grin.

"Pretty much. Even I know at this point that the people will want a lot more than just ramen. That way, this restaurant can appeal to everyone's taste." Naruto admitted, before pointing to a dark door with a large, dark window, where the person behind it could oversee the first and second floors. "That there will be my office. Patrons can't look in, but I can look out."

"Oh? Cheeky~" Hanabi cooed with a cat-like grin. "Planning on having some fun while overlooking your business?"

Hinata blushed, knowing what Hanabi meant.

Naruto stared at the youngest Hyūga with more than a little amusement. "Did you nick one of Kakashi's books, you little minx?"

"I have no shame," Hanabi replied, and blew a wet raspberry.

Naruto rolled his eyes, before unlocking his office door. The three stepped inside, which was shockingly minimalist in nature. It had white walls, with a simple desk that hosted a large computer. On the walls were television screens, which they guessed was to watch the surveillance from above.

What was most notable, however, was the spiraling staircase, which was erected from the floor just behind Naruto's desk and chair. The steps and the railings were wooden brown and gold, with the pillar supporting the staircase being pure white.

"Needless to say, this is my office." Naruto explained. "This is also the only entryway to the third floor, which is where I - and in the future you two - will live." He guided them up the stairs, and they couldn't help but marvel at the simple, yet beautiful architecture and design of the place.

"Do you have the whole third floor to yourself?" Hinata asked in wonder.

"Yep." Naruto said, before opening the door.

As predicted, Naruto's quarters was very Japanese in design, with the living room having an easy access to a small library, a huge kitchen with a top quality refrigerator and freezer, a small gym for himself to workout in, and a personal mini bar. Then there was, of course, his master bedroom, with had a large bathroom connected to it.

"Wow. This is amazing!" Hanabi cheered, and plopped herself on the sofa in front of an entertainment system. Next to it were TVs, which was for obviously entertainment, but probably also for the security cameras as well.

"Spared no expense, dattebayo." Naruto smirked.

"Indeed."

The three retired Konoha shinobi nearly jumped out of there skins, whipping around towards the kitchen area, with kunais in their hands before they even saw the intruder. An old man had just exited the pantry, smiling warming at Naruto.

"Modeling this kitchen of yours to accommodate a Shokugeki. Not bad if I do say so myself." The man nodded in approval.

"Who are you?" Hinata asked, her eyes narrowing at the mysterious man. "Do you know him, Naruto?"

"Yep. He's Nakiri Senzaemon, Headmaster and Director of the Tōtsuki Teahouse Culinary Academy. He's the one who invited me to his school, where I graduated." Naruto confirmed as he walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, nice to meet you," Hinata said, bowing at him with Hanabi as they put away their weapons.

"The pleasure is mine, young ladies."

"How did you get in here, Director?" Naruto asked as he got drinks from the fridge. "And why are you here? Not that I don't appreciate the visit."

"I have my secrets, just like you have yours, my old student. But don't worry, I'll be sure to call ahead next time." Senzaemon said cheerfully, before turning serious. "Tell me, have you hired any staff yet?"

"I was going to start putting out job postings tomorrow now that I'm back here." Naruto replied. "Why?"

"Ah, so you haven't heard, then. Not that I blame you, since ours news never really reach the Elemental Nations." Senzaemon said, stroking his beard. "There's been a major shift in the culinary world, with me no longer the Director and Headmaster of Tōtsuki Academy."

"Are you serious?" Naruto asked, looking baffled. "I've been gone for like almost a year dealing with a terrorist organization. What the hell did I miss?"

"Quite a bit, so I'll keep this simple." Senzaemon said while accepting a drink from Naruto. "I'm no longer the Director and Headmaster of Tōtsuki Academy."

"Okay, seriously - what in the _fuck_ did I miss, old man?"

Despite hearing the same news twice, it still didn't fail to alarm Naruto, with shock written all over his face.

"Tōtsuki has been taken over by my son-in-law, Nakiri Azami. He's a man obsessed with culinary perfection, which he calls "True Gourmet." According to him, "True Gourmet" is only meant for the select few who can appreciate its perfection; and anything that does not meet his standards is nothing more than pig's food and unworthy of being called cuisine," Senzaemon explained, before taking a swig of his drink.

"He sounds nice," Hanabi snorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"He doesn't have the right to decide that." Naruto growled, looking quite pissed.

Senzaemon sighed in agreement. "Indeed. There are those that think like him, but they don't have the influence or skill like he does. And I have to stay, I underestimated him."

"Wait, just how exactly were you ousted, Director? The only way for that to happen is for the majority of the Elite Ten to initiate a vote to-" Naruto trailed back in realization. "No, that's impossible! They would never- How? Why? What the hell happened after I left?!"

"I'm in the dark as much as you are Naruto, but it was 6 to 4."

"...Six to four?" Naruto leaned onto a tabletop for support, with Hinata rushing to his side for support. "I don't get it. Who?"

"Out of the Ten Elites, only Satoshi Isshiki, Terunori Kuga, Tosuke Megishima, and my granddaughter Erina were the only ones who supported me."

Naruto was floored, and held his head. _'Rindō and Saitō were in on it?! WHY?!'_

The individuals in question were a few of the students Naruto was close with. Rindō was a wild girl who specializes in using exotic wild game in her dishes. Saitō was a Sushi Master who embodies the way of Bushido, the code of the samurai. And both individuals were the last people Naruto expected to overthrow Senzaemon, after all he's done for the student body.

"Do not think that this is your fault for not joining the Elite Ten when you had the chance, Naruto. Sometimes tells me that there was more to the decision." Senzaemon said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Right." Naruto breathed out to calm himself. "So, where did this takeover lead?"

"It lead to a civil war between the Resistance and Azami's supporters. The Resistance gave it their all, and were on the verge of victory, when at the final stretch, Azami brought in his trump card: His illegitimate son Asahi, who laid waste to the Resistance. Asahi held a strange ability, which was quite similar to Subaru Mimasaka's Trace ability, but far more advanced, if I must say so. Watching him in action reminded me of the skills of the multiple chefs he had defeated in the past, almost as if with every defeat, he had claimed their skills and talents for his own." Senzaemon said sadly. "And as of now, Azami now has complete control of the culinary world: a world where creativity and innovation is seen as impurities."

"How does one come to that conclusion?" Hinata wondered in bewilderment. "Creating new dishes is what a chef does. I know that from watching Naruto work, and tasting his creations."

"I suspect it has something to do with one of his fellow classmates. But it feels more like revenge than anything." Senzaemon replied thoughtfully.

"Well, fuck him." Naruto growled, his eyes turning red momentarily. "This restaurant will never acknowledge Azami's tyrannical rules. Not now, not ever. If he tries anything to undermine my restaurant, he'll be sorry."

In his book, cooking was all about creation and innovation. Hell, it was what created the art of cooking in the first place, ever since the first man had discovered the power of fire, and what wonderful new creations it offered to them. And now some..._food nazi_ wanted to come along and destroy the potential creation of new dishes. To hell with that!

His old mentor nodded in satisfaction. "And that is why I came to you. The Resistance has lost, with them and their supporters now cast out from Tōtsuki, and thus, have nowhere else to channel their potential. I had a feeling that your restaurant will be the perfect place to unleash their creativity, away from Azami's administration."

"I'd say go for it, Naruto-kun." Hinata advised the blonde. "If they were that determined to fight against Azami to the bitter end, then they'll be perfect for your restaurant here."

"Way ahead of you, Hinata." Naruto said with a grin. "But, like any other manager, they'll have to impress me, first. Director, can you bring them all here as soon as you can? Let me see what they got."

"I'll have them here within the week. Thank you, Naruto." Senzaemon said gratefully.

"No problem, old man. My goal was to create the best damn restaurant with my own two hands. And the more skilled chefs I can get in my team, the better the food and the service will be!"

"Let me help too! I can be a server or something while learning to cook!" Hanabi piped up.

"Me too. I don't want to be deadweight. I've also liked cooking as well." Hinata added. "Especially when seeing you work."

"All right, then. I look forward to teaching you both." Naruto said, hugging Hinata and patting Hanabi's head.

Senzaemon smiled at the trio, with the blond reminding him of himself when he was younger.

'_I am glad that you have become my pupil, Naruto Uzumaki.'_ The old man's eyes twinkled with joy. _'It would seem that in your hands, the future of cooking is headed towards a bright path.'_

Not wanting to interrupt the intimate moment, the old man smiled, before turning away, walking away from his legacy. It would seem that his work here was done, and that now, for once, he could relax.

* * *

**[ (One Month Later) ]**

One month.

It has been exactly one month ever since Naruto had showed off his dream to his wives (yes, wives). It has been exactly one month ever since his old mentor stopped by, and had asked to take in the remnants of the Resistance.

It has been one month since the remnants of the Resistance came up to his doorstep, with downed faces, but with eyes full of hope. It has been one month since he had tested all of their meddles, and much to his pleasure, they had all passed with flying colors.

It has been one month since then, and now...after so long, his dream was finally about to begin.

"Okay, let's see. Kitchen meets basic health standard? Check. Dining tables all set up? Check. Everything's squeaky clean? Check."

Naruto was zipping around, making sure everything was in order before the doors opened. While he was excited for this dream coming to fruition, he was still nervous at the reception was soon to come.

"Darling."

Naruto found himself at the top of the stairs when Hinata stepped into his view, and just like that, all of his worries melted away. Hinata blushed as he stared at her Japanese-style maid outfit, which, in his opinion, looked fantastic on her. Whatever worrying thoughts he had faded away as she cupped her hand around his cheek, and planted a gentle, yet sweet kiss on his lips.

"We already triple-checked everything, and each time, it turned out perfect. Now come on, it's time to open up your restaurant." She giggled and led him down the stairs.

The blond, godlike man sighed in relief and pleasure as he leaned his cheek against his wife's hand. "Yes, you're right, dear. I need to stop worrying so much. I mean, this is the moment I've - no, _we've_ all been working hard towards. I can't pull out now!"

"Yeah, _honey_."

Hyūga Hanabi, his second wife, grinned as she appear behind the two. She pulled Naruto's face away from her sister, planting a rough, yet sexy kiss onto his lips. "The only time you get to pull out from is when you're ravaging me with your-"

"Okay!" Hinata clapped her hands, steam nearly bursting out of her ears as she blushed at the words she had yet to say. "You were going to finally open up your restaurant, right?!"

Hanabi pouted at her sister's intervention, to which Naruto was silently grateful for. Even after a month, he still hadn't gotten used to this side of Hanabi, which never failed to catch him by surprise.

But still, Hinata did have a point, and Naruto did not live to disappoint. Clearing his throat, his back straightened as his face put on a serious pose.

"Of course." He said with confidence as they arrived on the first floor. Everything will go smoothly. He can feel it. After all, not only did he have his wives by his side, but he had also recently picked the best person as his general manager of the Le Fox Den.

Speaking of…

"You can count on me to help, Naruto! Don't worry!" Uzumaki Kushina said with a smile. "Everything's in order, and I won't let anything disrupt your first day, dattebane!"

That's right, Kushina, Naruto's red-headed MILF of a mom, was back from the dead. With the Mask of the Shinigami, the Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation jutsu with a Blood Clone sacrifice, and the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, Naruto had brought his mother back to life. Now she served as Le Fox Den's General Manager, running the day to day operations to take a load off of Naruto. She was currently dressed in a sexy, red Chinese dress with fox designs all over it.

Naruto would have brought back his father as well, but Shinigami, who was in a foul mood after Orochimaru's antics over the years, told the Uzumaki not to press his luck.

"Thanks, kaa-chan. Well, everyone," He glanced back at the kitchen, which was filled with his crew. Each of them looked nervous, yet determined, their hands behind their backs and their eyes burning with passion. "It's time to show Japan what real cooking looks like."

And with that, Naruto opened his doors, facing an army of curious and hungry people. Camera flashes and questions bombarded him like missiles, and yet, he took them all in stride, his smile as bright as the sun.

"Hello everyone! My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I am the owner and the head chef of my new restaurant, the Le Fox Den. When I was a boy, I had the desire to open my own restaurant. And now, the dream is now a reality. I thank you all for coming out to this grand opening to celebrate with me and my family." Naruto greeted the patron and future customers, who clapped in response. He then produced a pair of large, golden scissors (using a storage seal on his wrist in a subtle fashion), and cut the orange ribbon in front of him.

"Please, eat, drink, enjoy your meals, and welcome to Le Fox Den!"

**END OF CHAPTER 01**

* * *

**Next time:** In chapter 2, we will see who the hired chefs are, and two years later, Azami comes by to pay a visit to Le Fox Den. Chapter 3 and onward, the Taimanin madness begins!

Thank you for reading! See ya next time!

* * *

**Released: Monday, January 27, 2020**


	2. Growing Fame

**Author's Notes: **Welcome. And yes, I'll be using the "Lilithverse", and have Lucius to help me with it.

**Special thanks** to Lucius Walker for co-writing and NSG for beta-reading.

**-Changes: **

Right, so one of the reviews mentioned the age gap between Hinata and Hanabi, which I forgot and is a huge yikes. So now Hanabi is one year younger than Hinata instead of the canon 5 years apart.

I've also done away with the long two year timeskip, now going with a few to several months at a time.

* * *

_**Chapter 02: "Growing Fame"**_

* * *

**[ (Sumiredōri Shopping District, One Month before the Grand Opening) ]**

A bus pulled up to the side of the street, before coming to a complete stop at a corner. The bus doors opened with its ear-piercing hiss, and a British/Japanese man with short, blond hair with blue eyes stepped out. His white chef's top fluttered in the slight wind, and he had to keep his hand on his fedora to stop the wind from claiming it.

Warden Gamsei pocketed a sheet of paper, before making his way down a narrow street. His fast pacing slowed into a deliberate walk as he admired the peaceful nature of the neighborhood, his eyes having much less to focus on for once, before coming to a stop at his designation.

"Yukihira Diner." He muttered, noting that the place was closed for the season. "What a quaint little place. Hard to believe a graduate of Tōtsuki settled for a little diner."

He walked up to the door and gave it a few loud raps. There was no response, but he did hear some movement and some muffled whispering. He sighed loudly, and knocked louder.

"Come on out, you pannini heads! Let's not wait for the fucking grass to grow!" He shouted. "Either you come out or I leave, proving your former Headmaster for being an utter numpty!"

Gamsei heard some fast movements coming towards the door, before it finally opened.

"Sorry, sir." A young woman with long, honey-blonde hair and purple-pinkish eyes said sheepishly. "We didn't know what the man my grandfather sent looked like."

"Yet I was one of the only ones who knew where you lot were. You should really learn to trust your old man more. After all, he was the one that gave you this chance." Gamsei said gruffly. "The old graybeard vouched for you all, and my new boss's looking forward to seeing you all in action."

"Does that mean a Shokugeki?" A young girl with long red hair and yellow eyes asked with excitement.

"Absolutely not." Gamsei replied flatly. "Now let's run along, all of you."

Gamsey led the former students of Tōtsuki to the bus he came on. His foot tapping, he waited until all twenty hopped inside, before getting in himself. The bus took off, its destination being the Le Fox Den, the new restaurant that was being built almost outside of the city.

"So, what do we call you?" One of the many aspiring chefs asked.

"Gamsei. Warden Gamsei. 85th-generation Tōtsuki graduate, sous-chef to the Head Chef who's several years my junior, who's also the owner of the soon-to-be-opened Le Fox Den. I knew the owner since he started his culinary journey at Tōtsuki. You'll find, like I did, that he's quite the interesting individual." The man handed out a series of booklets while introducing himself. "Here's the menu and overview of his vision for the place. Something to prepare yourselves for your interviews."

He gave the group a quick once-over, and found seventeen 92nd generation students, two 91st generation students, and one 90th generation student. They might not look like much, but each of them were members of the Resistance, and thus, they all had something to bring to the table. Since they were all skilled enough to bring the fight to Azami's administration, he and Naruto expected a lot out of them.

The single Resistance member of the 90th generation was Megishima Tōsuke, an interesting individual who was actually Naruto's rival when it comes to the art of making ramen. He hated doing Shokugekis, and had never had one with his fellow ramen chef, but this influence caused Naruto to get better, and to improve his own skills.

The two Resistance members of the 91st Generation were Isshiki Satoshi and Kuga Terunori, two former members of the Elite Ten who both voted against the Azami takeover. The first was skilled in a unique, innovative style of Japanese cuisine, while the latter was skilled in the art of the Chinese cuisine. The most notable thing is that both had strong ties to the 92nd Generation, with that strong bond being crucial to getting them to fight for the Resistance.

Speaking of the 92th generation, Senzaemon spoke highly of them (and no, not because it included his granddaughter, mind you.)

Most of the Resistance, even the Polar Star "common grunts," had their specialties. For instance, Sakaki Ryōko was a level-headed chef who specialized in Kōji (fermented Japanese rice.) Yoshino Yūki specialized in Wild Game Meat, much like her senpai Kobayashi Rindō, who specialized in exotic ingredients. Marui Zenji was an intelligent chef, whose cooking revolved around the application of learning from literature about gourmet food. Ibusaki Shun, the quietest one of them all, specializes in Smoke Cooking, the art of using the special properties of smoke to cook and flavor dishes. As for Aoki Daigo and Satō Shōji, both had no particular cooking styles, but they were nonetheless competent enough to stay in Tōtsuki, making up for the lack of talent with their hard work.

Then there was Mimasaka Subaru, an interesting chef with no speciality and cooking spirit. However, he makes up for it with his Perfect Trance, a unique personal skill that allows him to mimic other chefs, down to their cooking style and personal habits. He may be stalkerish, but he was still a force to be reckoned with in a Shokugeki.

Moving on from the skilless, Hayama Akira was a former member of the student-run central after Azami's takeover, who defected after losing a Shokugeki. A master of spices, he held a very sharp sense of smell, which was crucial to his Aromatic cooking style.

Kurokiba Ryō was the seafood chef, who brought ferocity and intensity to his cooking. Calm and collected at first glance, the minute he donned his special bandana, he became a fierce cook, whose dishes would overwhelm the consumer. His instincts helped him pick out the best ingredients for his dishes.

Nakiri Alice, one of Senzaemon's granddaughters, specialized in molecular gastronomy; using science and chemistry to focus on the artistic, social, and technical aspects of cooking. While not as famous as her cousin Erina, she could more than hold her own. It helped that she had a more friendly and cheery demeanor than her cousin.

Takumi and Isami, or also known as "The Aldini Brothers," were a terrifying duo to go up against. Born to a Japanese-Italian family, they learned to cook in Italy. They were as strong together as they were individually, both with their own strengths and weaknesses. Both specialized in Italian Cuisine, though between them, Takumi was superior over Isami.

Mito Ikumi, who stood out from the crowd due to being a gyaru, specialized in meat, butchering, and donduri. Her knowledge of meat came from her being the princess of the Mito family empire, who sold and distributed meat across Japan. She once primarily used A5 meat, but discarded the habit after two Shokugeki losses, one of them being against her senpai Naruto at the time.

Arato Hisako, while still a chef, is also the secretary to Senzaemon's granddaughter Erina. Specializing in the art of medicinal cooking, she infuses traditional Chinese medicinal ingredients into her food excelling in its and its respective field of studies. More loyal to her "Empress," she tended to use her skills to assist Erina more often than to feed the customers.

Tadokoro Megumi was the meek and timid chef of the group, who specialized in hospitality, cooking with the customer in mind. She was personally trained by Shinomiya Kojirō for a time, helping to improve her cooking skill and confidence. She might be the "weak link" of the group, but her various accomplishments revealed untapped potential.

Nakiri Erina was one of the granddaughters of Senzaemon, and is famous for her "God's Tongue." Having no particular cooking or cuisine speciality, she was capable of turning a regular dish into a pro dish, and used high quality ingredients and creativity to bring out the food's full potential for maximum taste. She was considered a national treasure with the perfect palette, making many restaurants green with envy when they heard about where she had decided to work.

At last, there was Yukihira Sōma, the red-headed ace of the 92nd generation Tōtsuki Academy student. She is a skilled, energetic chef that everyone underestimates due to her background in working at her father's diner. But her father just so happens to be the legendary graduate of Tōtsuki, Yukihira Jōichiro. As a master of the Yukihira Style, Sōma is able to overcome most obstacles, learning from defeat and even victories; continuing to evolve in order to be a great chef.

The trip took around an hour since they were going from one town to another. It was more than enough time for the group to read over the materials. The sous-chef also observed them as they interacted with each other, getting a feel for their personalities and quirks.

'_With all these different skills and quirks, Azami's son must be a force to be reckoned with.'_ Gamsei noted, turning a page to read up on the Shokugekis that everyone was involved in. _'This is gonna be a fun interview, that's for sure.'_

He then clapped his hands. "All right, chums. Ears open and listen up!" With all eyes on him, he continued. "We are almost at our destination, and when we arrive, your interview will begin."

"May I ask what you mean by that?" Akira asked, voicing everyone's confusion.

"Simple, spice kid. Le Fox Den is pretty much completed, and ready to work in. And what better way to stress test it by letting you lot run wild." Gamsei said, tapping his clipboard. "Right now, the boss is out on business for about an hour and a half. That gives you lot 30 minutes to prep your assigned stations, and an hour to cook a dish to impress the boss when he gets back."

"That's it?" Erina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't say anything else after that, didn't I?" Gamsei snorted. "Ya know what, just to make it interesting, think of it as a Shokugeki, only that you're not competing against each other, but to impress your senpai. Are we clear?"

"Hell yeah!" Sōma cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

"Well, she's definitely getting the job..." Kuga mumbled sheepishly.

Gamsei snapped his head towards him. "Ya say something, fortune cookie?!" He barked menacingly.

"Nothing!"

"Thought so." Gamsei snorted, and looked outside, "And here we are. Look alive, people."

The remnants of the Tōtsuki resistance followed his gaze outside the bus windows. They stared in awe at the new restaurant that awaited them. What was once a three-story warehouse was remodeled into a high-end looking restaurant with elaborate, oriential designs. Near the doors were two nine-tailed fox statues, with one being bright orange and the other dark orange.

"Very interesting. It reminds me of my old friend." Tōsuke mused, missing his dear friend and rival.

"Awawawa~" Megumi whined, shaking like a leaf.

"And with that," the bus came to a halt at the entrance. "Your time begins now. Clock's ticking."

"Wait, what?!" Nikumi and the others rounded on the sous-chef, who just clicked on a stopwatch.

"You heard me. When we arrive, your interview begins." Gamsei said smoothly, and gestured to the entrance. "Now stop staring like a bunch of fucking goldfish, and cook me your signature dishes! Chop chop!"

The former students of Tōtsuki looked at each other in shock, realizing what Gamsei meant. A second later, they quickly filed out of the bus, and made a mad dash towards the opening doors. Gamsei stepped off the bus himself and smirked. He looked up at the third floor window, and gave a two-fingered salute.

On the other side of the window, Naruto gave a curt nod and returned the salute. He headed over to the entertainment center where Hinata and Hanabi are and sat down with them. He grabbed his bowl of ramen and relaxed as they watched the newcomers rush into the restaurant and into the kitchen.

"Now then, let us see what Tōtsuki has taught them before it went to shit…"

* * *

**[ Tōtsuki Academy, Headmaster's Office (6 months later) ]**

In the days of old, the sun shined bright above the mountainside school that was Tōtsuki Culinary Teahouse Academy. It represented a shining future for those that overcame the cutthroat style of the school curriculum, and rose to become the best of the best.

Nowadays, the skies above were nothing but doom and gloom. Rain fell here and there, with the occasional thunderstorm further adding to the grim atmosphere. The school had undergone some new, unpleasant changes, which the spirit of the school seemed to disagree with. Sure, under the new curriculum, everyone would get an equal education, but at the cost of creation and innovation.

Currently, there was a new problem presenting the ruling administration, which is now being addressed in a meeting between Azami and his enforcers, Central.

"100 students voluntarily left in the last week, which adds to the other 400 that we lost. In comparison to the thousand plus students we had at the beginning of this administration, we now have less than 500 students left in the academy." Kinokuni Nene, a member of Central, reported to the headmaster.

The bleach-skinned, black suited Nakiri Azami sighed as he looked over the reports. "I've given them all the tools to succeed and they still choose to fail. Such a shame that the students here cannot grasp the simple concepts of gourmet."

"Give them time, boss. They'll come around," another member of Central, Kusunoki Rentarōassured the headmaster, "On the bright side, it's getting easier to manage those underclassmen."

"Even so, the number of individuals a place has also represents its strength," Sōmei Saitō murmured, "The fact we lost so many is a sign of weakness. Soon, sharks will come for blood. After all, Tōtsuki always had enemies in the shadows, looking for ways to cause us to fall."

"Regardless, with my influence, your strengths, and my son's skills, no one will dare oppose us." Azami said in a dismissive tone. "I now run the culinary world and its operations. There will never be a rebel group like those upstarts from before."

"There have been a few dregs and embers of resistance within the school, but they're been put down." Eizan Etsuya reported, adjusting his glasses. "As Rentarō said, it'll be easier to manage the school population."

"At what cost? We're been steadily losing students, and that's not our only problem," Nene continued in annoyance. "They haven't been receiving many applications. At this rate, we won't have enough students to populate three out of our seven Shokugeki arenas. We need a solution before this becomes a major problem we can no longer afford to ignore."

"Simple. We buy out the other cooking schools around the world, both minor and major." A smirking Eizen replied.

"That would make us a monopoly, which is a double-edged sword." Saitō pointed out. "More potential students will come, but it might do more harm than good. You might invite unsavory individuals and those who refuse to bow down to your will."

"I don't care…" The little pastry chef Akanegakubo Momo whispered, squeezing her plush toy.

"I say bring them all on!" The redheaded wild-girl Kobayashi Rindō said cheerfully. "We'll find the ones that tick!"

"That's not a bad idea. I'll consider it, Eizen-kun." Azami said, and walked to the window. "All great empires start out rough, but rest assured, things will turn around for this school and the culinary world as a whole. I guarantee it."

"The paperwork is gonna get rough again, I know it." Whined the #1 seat, Tsukasa Eishi. "And here I was enjoying it getting easier…"

"Says the person who wants to handle that monster all to themselves." Rindō countered, clapping her best friend on his back.

"There's also been a development as well. There's a new restaurant in a riverside town in Tokyo called Le Fox Den, or Le Renardière, if we're to get technical." Nene reported, flipping her notes. "It's popular with everyone from the poor to the rich, and the reservations are currently backed by three months thanks to word of mouth."

"I see. How interesting." Azami murmured, still staring at the window at the school grounds below. "Do they follow true gourmet as I envisioned?"

Nene shook her head. "No. The restaurant is being praised for its innovative dishes in Japanese cuisine. And it's not just Japanese cuisine, but they also offer cuisine from different countries as well. From what I'm hearing, they're not following your doctrine at all. Furthermore…"

Eizan frowned as his fellow Central member paused. "What is it?"

"Not only is the owner rumored to be a Tōtsuki graduate, but those of the Resistance are now working there as well." Nene said, with all eyes now turned to her.

"Are you serious?! Do they have a death wish?!" Rentarō asked incredulously. "Even now, they're still defying us!"

"Heh, they all have balls, I'll give them that!" Rindō laughed, and gave a fierce grin. "Let's go visit, eh? I'd love to visit the others and meet the owner."

"Indeed." Azami agreed, turning around with a serious expression on his face. "I want to meet this owner who dares defy my authority. We'll make our way to the Fox Den in a few days time. Dismissed…"

"Yessir!"

* * *

**[ Le Fox Den (a few days later) ]**

"Hey! This place isn't so bad!" Rindō skipped around, squealing as she admired the sights. "It's so eye catching! I can't wait to see the inside!"

"Seems that they're full to capacity," Sōmei noted, seeing patrons seated outside with servers helping them. "Impressive that there's no line right now."

"What the hell is that?! They do delivery? Ha!" Rentarō laughed, pointing at the delivery stands with bicycles and cars. "That ain't luxury! This is a restaurant masquerading as a fast food joint!"

"I don't know. The food looks too good to be a cheap carbon copy." Tsukasa said, admiring the various dishes being served.

"Heh, this owner's thought of everything. Maybe we can do business." Eizen said, menacingly adjusting his glasses. "For their benefit, that is."

"We shall see once we inspect the premises." Azami said, smirking.

The group walked past the nine-tailed fox statues, and entered the interior of the restaurant. They were greeted by a huge dining room with two floors. Servers were scurrying about, taking orders and delivering patrons' orders. Near the back was the kitchen, the patrons were treated to seeing the chefs cooking their food, with the sous chefs checking the food that comes out, and the line chefs leading the charge in keeping the chefs focused.

"It can't be." Momo suddenly piped up as a dessert dish passed her. "How can they make such cute creations? It's not fair."

"Impressive…but…" Azami scowled at the dishes floating around. "They can do so much better. The fact that there's not embracing true gourmet is a taint upon this beautiful palace. They will ruin themselves in the future."

"It's them." Nene suddenly said, nodding towards the kitchen area.

Eizen smirked. "Well well, I spy a bunch of rebel scum."

Azami followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Well well, it seems that the rumors were true, Nene-kun."

* * *

**[ Le Fox Den (6 months ago) ]**

"Five, four, three, two, one, and stop!" Gamsei snapped his fingers. "Done. Everyone step away now!"

The remnants of the Resistance jumped back at the authoritative crack of Gamsei's voice.

"Line up over there. Go go go!" He commanded. "Let's not wait for the bloody paint to dry!"

When the group lined up in the designated area, Hinata and Hanabi quickly descended the staircase. They took the dishes the prospects cooked and set them on a round table. Hanabi suddenly spun the table, baffling the Resistance.

"Right. Now," Gamsei took a look at the dishes and nodded in approval. "They all look good. I was impressed by some of your unique skills and styles of cooking. But, are they all flash and show? We shall see."

"Indeed. So you're the ones Old Man Senzaemon recommended to me, eh?"

Everyone's attention was turned to the man of the hour, Uzumaki Naruto. Dressed in a black chef's coat top, black stacks, and an apron around his waist, he slid down the banister, and hopped off with a surprising amount of grace, landing with both feet on the ground like a cat.

"Eh?!" Ikumi yelped, looking shocked. "Naruto-senpai?!"

Kuga's jaw fell into a gape as well. "No way! Naruchi-senpai?"

"Yep, it's me Kuga, Nikumi-chan!" He said with a bow. "Glad to see most of you remember me. Isn't that right, Tōsuke-san, my old friend?"

"Heh." Tōsuke sighed, before he let out a smirk. "I should've known with those nine-tailed fox statues out in the front. To think you would be responsible for all of this. You truly are unpredictable, Naruto-san."

"Uzumaki Naruto, Tōtsuki's Number One Troublemaker?" Hisako whispered, looking shocked before looking at Erina, who was shivering. "Erina-sama?"

"Oh no…" She muttered, shaking like a leaf. "Grandpa, why?"

At the most, the cocky redheaded Sōma was all she could stand, but Naruto? In her world, he was a literal nightmare incarnate for his antics. From his pranking streaks to defying the authority of his upperclassmen and his so-called betters, Naruto was an absolute terror for someone as dignified as her. Akin to Sōma's cooking, his signature ramen dish blew her away, but she refused to acknowledge it, no matter how much she wanted to. While not a student yet, she orchestrated events behind the scenes to try and throw Naruto out of Tōtsuki, but somehow failed every time.

And when he finally caught onto her, well, let's just say she had many bad days, with the worst one involving a goat and a petting zoo, which, to this day, she still refuses to talk about. The day when Naruto graduated was the day that she was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, and even cried the moment he walked out of the cooking school.

But now he was back in her life, with him now being her future boss. And while she was a changed person, she never forgot his pranks, and, if she had to be honest, Naruto still fucking scared her.

"Oh my. Don't tell me you tried to dominate Naruto-san. Naughty Erina~" Alice grinned as she poked Erica's cheek. "So what did he do to you? I want details!"

"Over my dead body!" Erina snapped at her cousin.

Alice pouted. "Boooo! You're no fun~"

"You were in the Polar Star dorms, weren't you?" Shun spoke up. "I saw your picture there."

"Yep. Had a room there and everything. Gamsei included during his time." Naruto confirmed as the said chef handed him a file. "Granny Fumio sends her regards by the way. She's still holding down the fort at Tōtsuki."

"Yup. That sounds like Fumio." Isshiki agreed. "But I believe you had something to do with it, right, Naruto-san?"

Naruto shrugged. "That's our little secret, my friend. Now then," He clapped his hands. "Let us get to the formalities, shall we dattebayo? My name is Uzumaki Naruto, 90th-Gen early Tōtsuki graduate, and the owner of this fine establishment you stand in, Le Fox Den."

"This place is amazing!" The crowd began to speak up.

"Yeah! How you managed to get such a place-"

"Oi, Daigo, Shōji. Pipe down, ya donuts!" Gamsei barked at them. "We'll return with the pleasantries later. Right now, it's business."

"Thank you, Gamsei. Anyways, since you guys are practically expelled from Tōtsuki, with no way to hone your craft outside your homes, Old Man Senzaemon requested me to help you guys out, and I was in the process of hiring employees, so it all works out." Naruto said, and raised his hand to halt the incoming questions. "Do note that you working for me counts as credit for your schooling. The old man, along with Jōichirō-sensei and Gin-san, is still figuring out a way to hold a graduation ceremony for those who pass and whatnot."

"Wait a minute, my dad taught you?" Sōma asked, looking quite surprised.

"For a time. While you were still in high school, I helped out at your family diner. You should all know why, seeing as how you all did something similar in different restaurants to gain the work experience. Gamsei here was the one who watched my progress. He's my sou-chef, and will be my Line Chef here, which means that you'll all be reporting directly to him. That is…" Naruto spun the table with the signature dishes on it. "Assuming you're hired."

Gamsei nodded in agreement. "You all have done well in making it as far as you did in your rebellion against Azami and his Central goons. Even after getting taken down by Azami's son, you fought to the bitter end. But when one door closes, another one opens. But are you worthy enough to step through the new door?"

"I think that I speak for all of us when I say that we wouldn't be here if we weren't worthy." Hayama said boldy, with the others nodding in agreement.

"What he said!" Ryō exclaimed, throwing his bandana on. "Now go on and taste our dishes so that you'll find out first hand that you have the cream of the crop that'll make your restaurant a success!"

"I'll…do my best! But what about the Azami Administration?" Megumi questioned nervously.

Gamsei scoffed. "Le Fox Den will never recognize his authority. Your teacher, Shinomiya Kojirō-senpai, said the same for his Shino's restaurant."

"The same goes for our family restaurant." Takumi spoke up, with Isami nodding in agreement. "Azami won't be spreading his influence that easily. Also, we can hold down the fort."

"Well, let's dig in." Naruto said, as the table finished spinning.

* * *

**[Le Fox Den (present day)]**

"Excuse me. Do you all have a reservation?"

Azami and the members of the Central turned, and gazed in amazement as a redheaded woman walked towards them. She was wearing a stunning, sexy Chinese dress, with the kitsune design sewn onto it, making it seem like the fox's tail was coiling around her body. There was a slit on the lower part of her dress, which teasingly revealed a lot of her smooth, flawless legs. The upper part of her dress was no less alluring, with a cleavage window that revealed some of her bountiful cleavage.

"Apologies, ma'am, we do not. I just thought that my students and I could tour this fine establishment." Azami was the first to recover, speaking smoothly as the woman stopped in front of them.

"Oh! Then you're a few days early then, sir. We don't have another tour going on until this Saturday." The woman said brightly, but raising an eyebrow.

"I see." Azami said and looked his attention back to the kitchen area. "What can you tell me about those young chefs?"

The woman frowned. "Why do you want to know about my employees? Are you trying to poach them or something?"

"Maybe." Azami said, smirking. "Considering that they lost fair and square, and now defying my authority."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry, but that sounded awfully hostile. Who are you again?"

"Ah, my apologies, miss-?" Azami trailed off for an answer.

"Uzumaki Kushina, General Manager of Le Fox Den." Kushina introduced herself, noting the students behind the man flinching.

'_Uzumaki? She has the same surname as-'_ The members of Central thought with a sudden feeling of dread.

"Uzumaki-san. Pleased to meet you." Azami smiled courteously. "My name is Nakiri Azami, headmaster of Tōtsuki Academy."

Kushina's eyes widened at the name, and further narrowed her eyes. "I see. So you're _him_." She murmured, all courteousness and friendliness none from her voice.

When Kushina came up to them, she was curious about the paled-skin man and the group of kids with him. But when he started talking with his false smile, it put the redhead on edge, as almost everything about him reminded her of Orochimaru. And when he introduced himself, the Orochimaru comparisons became more pronounced.

Now Kushina was giving him a non-so-subtle glare, her eyes threatening to turn into slits. She was there when Old Man Senzaemon had once again visited Naruto, who was investigating Azami's grip on the culinary world. He told them everything about Azami…

How he was once Nakamura Azami, and a former student at ō Academy.

Now he was once best friends with fellow student Saiba Jōichirō (Sōma's dad) and Dōjima Gin.

How he married into the family through Senzaemon's daughter Nakiri Mana, taking the Nakiri name, before siring Erina.

How Azami, upon learning that Erina inherited her mother's God Tongue, cut her off from the outside world and subjected her to a brutal training regimen; the severity of it forcing Senzaemon to expel him from the family and Tōtsuki Academy.

The last part was confirmed by Erina herself (under the threat of a worse version of a 'petting zoo prank' from Kushina), with Erina telling her tale of being forced to compare dishes and throw away the ones that were inferior. If she resisted, her father would use physical force to ingrain his doctrine and ideals of food into her.

Cue Nakiri Azami being on everyone's shit list.

"The General Manager, eh? So you own Le Fox Den I take it?" Azami asked, ignoring the sudden chill he was feeling from the woman.

"No, that would be Uzumaki Naruto; 90th-generation early graduate of Tōtsuki Academy, personally scouted by your predecessor." Kushina replied, with a bit of venom dripping in her voice.

"Senzaemon-sama, is that right?" Azami asked and turned to his students. "Tell me, does the name sound…familiar…?"

He frowned when he noticed the members of Central frozen on the spot. Tsukasa looked terrified, Rindō was gaping like a fish, Momo was shivering, Sōmei took a slight step back, and Nene started sweating.

Rentarō, meanwhile, was already gone from the restaurant, leaving behind a small trail of dust as he ran out of there. Strangely enough, the dust formed into the word 'NOPE'.

"Uzumaki…Naruto…runs…this restaurant?" Eizen asked, stupefied and shaking like a maraca.

"Correct." Kushina said before turning her attention back to Azami. "And Azami-san, if you're here to preach your 'true gourmet' bullshit to us, then you and Central might as well turn around and leave. Le Fox Den will NEVER acknowledge your authority or ideals. It's a place of growth and innovation for our chefs, and making the customers happy. That is how it will always be."

"Charming lady you are, Kushina-san. But I think I would rather speak to your husband before we go any further-"

"Husband?!" Kushina snarled, her hair slowly waving apart like a kitsune's tails. "He's my son!"

"Your son?!" Rindō squeaked with wide eyes. _'Such a beautiful woman is Naru-kun's mother?!'_

"Erina! What are you doing?!" A voice boomed from the kitchen. "Hello?!"

Everyone turned to see Erina, who was staring at her father in utter terror. But she wasn't given time to dwell as Gamsei came up behind her.

"Earth to Erina!" Gamsei shouted, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

"Ah, sorry Gamsei-senpai!" Erina yelped, looking flustered.

"What the fuck is going on? You're on a perfect streak here! Why are you pausing in the middle of service?" he asked her.

"Well, it's just…" Erina stammered, looking from Azami to Gamsei. "My father's-"

"Fuck him, he's not important! Now get it together before the food gets cold." Gamsei commanded. "Hop to it!"

"Yes Chef!" Erina nodded, and got back to her task.

As she had no signature dishes or cooking style, she was regulated to being a sous-chef, where she was to check and taste the food to make sure it was worthy for human consumption. Thanks to her God Tongue, it was the perfect job for her.

"Send up the next plate!" She called over her shoulder.

"Got it right here, Erina!" Alice said, handing her cousin her dish, before spotting Azami. "Holy-!"

"Never mind him!" Erina snapped at her. "Get back to work, now!"

"If you say so." Alice nodded solemnly, before letting out a grin. "My my, the next few minutes should be quite entertaining." She giggled, before she got back to her station.

"Whatever." Erina just shook her head, before getting back to work. She tasted the appetizer that consisted of a risotto and scallops with sushi. Nodding her head, she pushed it towards Gamsei. "Here, Chef."

"Excellent. Looks good. " Gamsei took the dish and handed it to a server. "Send it away."

The server took the dishes, and was about to go on his way to the customer, when he was suddenly intercepted.

"Hey!" Kushina yelled in indignation as Azami swiped the dish.

"Is this what passes for food these days? How disappointing." Azami mused as he examined the dish for himself.

"Oh for fuck sakes. It's just a bloody appetizer!" Gamsei growled, and grabbed a walkie-talkie. "Boss, get down here. We have an issue."

"**I see it. On my way."**

"Roger that." Gamsei said and headed around to the other side of the kitchen. "Erina, you're in charge until I get back."

"Yes sir." Erina said and grabbed an order to relay to the others. "On order-"

"Kushina-san, I'll handle this." Gamsei said as he exited the kitchen.

"Heh, he's all yours." Kushina nodded, taking a step back.

"Hey, Wonder Bread!" Gamsei snarling, stomping towards Azami. "I'll appreciate it if you didn't get in the way of serving our patrons!"

"Ah, you must be Warden Gamsei." Azami said cooly as Gamsei snatched the dish back from him. "I've heard much about you. You, much like Uzumaki, were also scouted by Senzaemon-sama. A juggernaut during your time, much like the other blond in this kitchen, you were quite a formidable foe during your academy days. Of course, not much of a surprise, coming from a Gordon Ramsey _wannabe_."

"If you're going to summarize my biography, get it right, Nakamura." Gamsei growled dangerously, handing the dish back to the server, who quickly scurried away. "I might not be his blood, but he passed on his legacy and his teachings onto me. Besides, what's wrong with wanting to be like your father?"

"I've always wondered the same thing." Azami's eyes narrowed as they followed his daughter. Gamsei snorted at this.

"My father might've been a tyrant in the kitchen, but he was a fair ruler, and knew when to turn down the heat." Gamsei retorted, folding his arms. "You, however, insisted on beating your daughter into submission to use for your own twisted culinary fantasies. You taught her nothing but pain and hatred. If you can't see that, then get a new pair of glasses, you pale-faced donkey."

Azami glared at the young chef, and swiveled his eyes towards the server, who had just served the appetizers to his customers.

"Sorry for the delay, Igawa-san." The server bowed meekly to the customer and her guest.

"No worries." The young lady waved off. "For an appetizer, this does look good! Right, Kyousuke?"

"It sure does, Asagi-chan." Kyousuke, Asagi's boyfriend and fiance, chuckled nervously. "Oh boy, I kinda feel bad for you treating me, since it should be the other way around. I mean, this all kind of looks expensive. Ah, what am I saying? Let's just dig in!"

The couple chuckled at each other's dynamics, before they helped themselves to the appetizer.

While the customers were enjoying their meals, the members of the Central were paralyzed from the tension in the kitchen, rooted to the spot from the exchange. Maybe they were seeing things, but they could've sworn that there was a large tiger growling behind Gamsei, with a venomous snake hissing behind Azami.

"It would seem that we are out of our league." Sōmei noted, sweating from the tension in the air.

"You always were the smart one, Saitō." A new voice chimed in from above. "Next to Isshiki, of course."

"Oh no…" Tsukasa whined, recognizing the voice and hiding behind Rindō.

Momo increased the grip on her plush. "Naruto-san…"

Uzumaki Naruto walked down the stairs, eying the crowd. He was wearing his black chefs outfit, with his restaurant's logo emblazoned on his back. So many familiar faces from Central, with only one he didn't recognize. He narrowed his eyes at the paled-skin, black suited man, who reminded him too much of Orochimaru.

'_So, that's Nakiri…no- Nakamura Azami.' _Naruto thought, staring a hole at him. _'Never judge people by their appearance, but this guy literally looks the part of a villain. And the negative emotions are radiating off him like a furnace. Fucking hell…'_

"Uzumaki Naruto…" Eizen uttered with fear. "It really is you-"

"Behave yourself, Eizen-teme." Naruto growled at him. "One false move and I'll throw you out myself, so keep your mouth shut unless spoken to."

"Sorry that you had to come down to deal with this, sochi." Kushina said sorrowfully.

"It's fine, mom. I would had to deal with them anyway." Naruto shrugged. "I honestly expected him sooner…"

"Heya, Naru-kun!" Rindō called to him cheerfully. "Long time, no see! How have ya been?"

"Hello, Kobayashi." Naruto responded curtly, strolling past her.

"Eh? You're kidding, right?" Rindō looked baffled at the response. "But…it's me! Your Rindō-chan! Or Neko-chan… You know, your best friend?"

Naruto spared for a glance. "I think that remains to be seen, Kobayashi-san."

Rindō looked utterly deflated at the responses she's been getting. She and Naruto were close during their time at Tōtsuki, and she would always find some kind of excitement from his various antics. Which is why the cold shoulder both unnerved her and broke her heart.

"Tsukasa, stop acting like a wimp and pull yourself. You're embarrassing yourself." Naruto added before turning his attention to Azami.

Tsukasa whined some more. "It's impossible with you…"

"So, you're the infamous Uzumaki Naruto. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Azami said, and stuck his hand out for him to shake.

Naruto stared at the pale man's hand as if it had a cockroach on it, before reluctantly shaking it. While pretty much everyone at the Tōtsuki Academy knew the terrible truth about Azami, the rest of the world didn't, so anything he said or did (or didn't) do in any way, shape or form would, unfortunately, reflect badly on Naruto's part.

"Pleasure's all mine." Naruto said with a surprising amount of neutrality. Naruto's face twitched in mild surprise as he felt Azami's iron grip. For someone who looked quite frail, he had a surprisingly strong grip. "You'll have to excuse any...hostilities my employees might have shown against you. We've heard all the stories about you. The good, the bad...and the ugly."

Azami's eyes narrowed even further as an empty smile stretched across his face. "I see that Senzaemon-sama has told you about me. Please do not be so hasty as to believe in _slander_."

"Quite understandable." Naruto nodded stiffly, letting go of the fiend's hand. "In the world of fame and fortune, rumors are quite inevitable, especially if one's closet has been seen by those who weren't meant to peek into it."

"The rumors greatly exaggerate." Azami asserted. "Yes, I'll admit that I've been rather strict on my daughter, but I've done nothing immoral. Besides, everything I've done for her was for her own good."

"Very interesting choice of words, Azami-san." Naruto snorted. "From what I've heard from your own daughter, strict is too kind of a word to use to even begin to describe your methods." Naruto let out a small scoff, and for a moment, Azami thought that his eyes turned fiery red. A trickle of sweat rolled down his face as for a moment, he thought that he had seen a giant, nine-tailed fox behind him, its razor sharp teeth glistening as it roared at him, challenging the snake to strike.

Naruto then blinked, and his eyes were blue again. The fox was gone, and so was the suffocating tension in the air.

"Now then," Naruto clapped his hands, the face of a killer gone, replaced by an enthusiastic restaurant owner. "I'm sure that we're not here to discuss our biographies, be it true or not. So, what can I do for you all today?"

"It's quite simple, Uzumaki-san." Azami cleared his throat, lightly rolling his neck to ease its tension. "Conform to my culinary standards, and your restaurant will continue to strive-" Azami's words were cut off as Rindō stepped in front of him. "What are you doing, Rindō-kun?"

"Headmaster, as much as I love to see things getting shaken up a lot, I'm going to have to ask that you let this one go." Rindō told him seriously. "Naru-kun is _not_ someone you can handle. Just ask Eizan."

Azami raised an eyebrow and turned to Eizan, whose color was drained out of him since Naruto's arrival.

"Yeah, Eizan-chan! You should tell him about the time that you decided to harass and sabotage me!" Naruto said with a wide smile. "Man, we had some good times back at the academy, huh? And no, I'm not talking about our Shokugeki."

Gamsei snorted. "If I recall correctly, I think it had something to do with putting snakes in his-"

"OKAY, OKAY, I get it!" Eizan cried out. "Please don't remind me of that humiliation!"

"You sure? Because there was more than that one." Naruto said, grinning a toothy grin.

"What is that?" Momo asked, pointing at a plate of desserts that just went past her. "It's so cute!"

"Ah, so that's where Hinata-chan went." Naruto mused, seeing his wife now making her delicious cinnamon rolls.

"Enough." Azami frowned, snapping his fingers to get everyone's attention. "So will you join the true way of the culinary arts or not? The consequences shall be…dire if you refuse."

"Interesting proposition, Nakamura-san. Allow me to deliver a professional rebuttal." Naruto said and leaned forward. "No. Kindly go away."

"Wait, Naruto." Tsukasa said, suddenly getting all serious. "Surely we can work something out?"

Naruto turned to the 'White Knight' with a raised eyebrow. "No, we can't."

"Chef!" Erina leaned over the kitchen table. "We might have a ramen order behind schedule. Can you help out?"

"Go on. You've wasted enough time here." Kushina advised her son.

"Good point, thanks kaa-san. I'll be right over." Naruto said, and headed to the kitchen. "Come on, Gamsei."

Gamsei nodded and followed. "Right behind you."

"Naru-kun, wait!" Rindō followed behind him before he entered the kitchen. "I know you're mad at me for siding with Azami. I just thought that things would be interesting if he was in charge. But I never thought it would escalate like this."

Naruto stopped and turned to give her a deadpan stare. "I always told you that one of your whims will come back to bite you, Kobayashi-san. Nevertheless, I'm sure we'll have a chat soon, when you have time to decide who's in the right and who's in the wrong."

Naruto then entered the kitchen, leaving Rindō at the kitchen entrance.

"Things are going to be much different for you all in the next few weeks." Azami said curtly.

"Do your worst, Nakamura-san. That is, if you can." Kushina challenged him.

Azami frowned at her before turning around. "We're leaving."

Kushina smirked as he and his students headed towards the door. Looking over, she noticed Rindō still standing at the entrance to the kitchen, staring at Naruto who began making batches of ramen with his employees. She then turned around and walked away, tears in her eyes.

'_She really likes my son, that one.'_ Kushina thought and sighed. _'But she'll need to understand that she can't be with Naruto while working under Azami. She has a choice to make. And if what Naruto-kun told me about her is true, I hope she makes the right decision.'_

Things quickly returned to normal after that little show. Kushina returned to fielding customer inquiries, and Gamsei continued manning the kitchen. As for Naruto…

"Ne, Naruto-san. That was really gutsy!" Sōma said as she put the finishing touches on her Apple Risotto. "Now I really want another Shokugeki with you!"

"That'll be the seventh one." Naruto grumbled as he took the ramen dishes he made, one miso ramen, and one with extra various meats. "You really ought to quit it."

"But it helps me improve. And this time, I know I can get you next time." Sōma retorted before taking up her dish.

"You say that all the time too." Naruto drawled, before turning to Gamsei. "Where's this one going?"

"Table 13, where that young lady is with her boyfriend." Gamsei said, pointing at said table. "Igawa-san, I believe."

"Gotcha, dattebayo!" Naruto nodded, and went to deliver the food.

"_**Naruto, why didn't you punch that man to kingdom come?"**_ a voice asked in his head. _**"Even for a human being, he's a piece of slime."**_

"_This isn't the Elemental Countries, Kaguya." _Naruto responded. _"Trust me, I wanted to blast him away, but then I'll have to explain myself to my guests. They would be turned off at the display of power I used, and it's a can of worms I don't want to clean up after..."_

"_**My garden has grown soft."**_ Kaguya growled. _**"Powers like ours should be commonplace. Seems that the Elemental Countries is the only slice of Heaven…"**_

"_Have you forgotten Kaguya? I'm a ninja."_ Naruto replied cheekily.

Kaguya scoffed._** "After everything you did in the previous war? And especially after what you did to the yakuza around Japan? Keep telling yourself that, my child."**_

"You must be Uzumaki-san." Asagi said as Naruto arrived.

"That's me, Igawa-san. A thousand pardons for the slight delay. I hope you didn't have to wait too long." Naruto apologized. "One miso ramen for you, and a three-meat ramen bowl with extra meat for the boyfriend." Naruto said, setting the bowls in front of them. "Made by yours truly. Please enjoy while it's hot!"

"Oh man, this looks so good!" Kyousuke exclaimed, pulling apart his chopsticks. "Thank you!"

"These condiments look so cute!" Asagi added, holding up a narutomaki one with her chopstick. "Let's dig in!"

"Itadakimasu!"

Naruto stepped back as Asagi and Kyousuke slurp their noodles, and smiled at their reaction.

"Hmmm! It's so good!" Asagi squealed, putting a hand to her cheek.

"The meat really melts in your mouth, and it compliments the noodles well." Kyousuke agreed, and looked at Naruto. "This is amazing!"

"I aim to please." Naruto said with a bow. "Let me or the other servers know if you need anything else."

"We will! Thanks, Uzumaki-san!" Kyousuke said as Naruto walked away.

"Hmm, there's something about that guy…" Asagi murmured, before shaking her head. _'Nah, I must be imagining it.'_

"Gonna go make some calls." Naruto said as he passed his mother.

"All right. I'll continue holding down the fort here." Kushina said, before grasping Naruto's arm. "Naruto, did you manage to…you know…"

Naruto shook his head. "Sorry kaa-chan. I tried again, but the Shinigami wouldn't let me revive tou-chan, even if I offered him some more tainted souls. He'll make exceptions with you or anyone else I might bring back, but he won't let me bring back tou-chan, since he did offer his soul to him to seal Kurama in me. He even told me in person to stop trying to bring him back, otherwise he'll take you and any others in the future back."

"I see…" Kushina mumbled, looking downtrodden. "At this rate, Minato-kun will pass onto the next life…"

Naruto nodded grimly. "I think tou-chan knew this, because he told me to take care of you in his place after the war. But the Shinigami did let me revive an Uzumaki and her friend. They worked for Orochimaru so I have them detained for now. I just need to contact Karin to help me with them."

"Gotcha." Kushina confirmed, with Naruto heading upstairs, and sighed.

"Excuse me, ma'am? Table for Vajra?"

Kushina jumped and turned to see a beautiful woman with long black hair, yellow eyes, and a business suit around her busty frame. With her was a girl with light green hair and in a maid outfit, and a redhead in a schoolgirl outfit.

"Ah, sorry. Let's see…" Kushina peered down the list. "Vajra…Annerose Vajra, I presume?"

"That is me," Annerose confirmed with a nod.

"Table for 3 on the second floor at 5pm. You're right on time." Kushina said with a nod. "Right this way…"

* * *

[ **Tōtsuki Academy (a few weeks later) **]

Rindō leaned against the wall, looking out the window. She and the rest of Central were in the headmaster's office, with the original intent of the meeting about the current state of Tōtsuki. But when she and the others arrived, they saw Azami in a foul mood, resting his chin on the back of his hands.

"I don't understand. How is he doing this?" He growled to himself as he slammed the phone down.

"Is everything all right, Azami-sama?" Nene asked with a frown.

"For the past few weeks, I've been trying to get Le Fox Den to heel. I called their suppliers, and they actually refused to cut business with them. Apparently, Uzumaki's got some kind of hold on them, threatening to make a possible cutting of ties messy if there are those like me trying to get to them." Azami replied gruffly. "So I called some…specific people to deal with Le Fox Den in their own way. But when they found out I was going after Le Fox Den, they flat out refused."

Yes, Azami was looking to sabotage Le Fox Den, and was calling everyone from food suppliers and "Eizen's contacts" to do the deed. But when Azami revealed that he wanted to disrupt Naruto and Le Fox Den however…

"**Oh hell no!"**

"**Le Fox Den, are you serious? No!"**

"**You'll have to pick another target, sir."**

"**Not happening, sir, no matter what your retaliation will be towards us."**

"**We never had this conversation."**

"**I will not. So many of my clients dine there, and I'm here with my family."**

"**When it comes to Uzumaki Naruto, you're on your own."**

"I don't understand. How did Uzumaki get to them? It was like he was anticipating this…" Azami muttered.

"That's Naru-kun for you. He shows no mercy to those that meddle with his affairs." Rindō mumbled, continuing to stare through the window.

"There's also the fact that various VIPs from all over the globe have taken a liking to that restaurant." Eizen sighed. "If we continue our assault, people will start questioning our credibility, amongst other things."

Momo tugged at her plushie nervously. "Naruto-senpai will know it was us…"

Azami slammed his fist on the table. "Irrelevant. I need suggestions on how we're going to deal with Uzumaki. You all know him, so surely he has some kind of weakness."

"None." Tsukasa said with surprising firmness. "None that we know of. And I think it should stay that way. We all experienced the depths and lengths Naruto will go to get payback against those that wronged him and those he cares about. And this was when he was still attending this academy. Why do you think Rentarō hasn't returned to us? Imagine the resources and skills he has _now_."

Nene nodded. "And that was him being nice to us. Imagine when he's actually pissed at us, and has a reason to utterly destroy us, in one way or another. If I need to be honest here, he's the last person I want to tick off due to his unpredictable nature, since in the Shokugekis, he's basically Yukihira, but on steroids. And let's not even talk about his vicious pranks."

"Well, I will not give up on this until he is brought to heel. No one is above my authority in Japan's culinary scene." Azami said and growled. "It would seem…that I will have to employ my son's services again."

"Don't be surprised if things won't go your way again." Rindō drawled as she walked towards the door.

"And where are you going?" Azami narrowed his eyes at her.

"Fresh air." Rindō bit back. "Don't wait up on me."

Rindō slammed the door behind her, with Sōmei following after her, but wisely keeping his distance.

"You plan on leaving." He said once they were outside.

"Was it that obvious?" Rindō snorted, increasing her pace. "It's no fun here anymore. And I'm not going to stay on a sinking ship that's bound and determined to destroy itself."

Rindō had voted to kick out Senzaemon on a whim, just to shake things up. That and her friend Tsukasa suggested the vote, which she found odd. But overtime, the consequences of the vote slowly manifested itself, transforming the school into a shadow of its former glory. It was no longer lively, and the Shokugekis were rare. The younger generation looked at the older students in fear, especially the Elite "Ten" in Central. The redhead used to get a kick out of sampling everyone's dishes and potential, but now it was all bland. Nothing interesting was pouring out of the school, and everyone was afraid to show their true potential in order to conform to Azami's ideals of "True Gourmet."

"You may have everyone fooled, but I know you're been visiting Le Fox Den since that day." Sōmei said as they slowed their pace.

"...He still won't look at me." Rindō mumbled. "Or give me the time of day."

During the crucial vote, a small voice in the back of her head told her not to do it, but she ignored it, figuring that whatever chaos it ensued, she would enjoy. And now she and the rest of the school, or whatever was left of it by now, was paying the penalty.

No more interesting dishes from the younger students.

The academy was all doom and gloom that didn't match her vibe.

Everything and everyone was boring.

And worse, the boy she has feelings for, Naruto, has turned his back on her for her actions.

"Then don't stay here. Go to him." Sōmei advised her. "Naruto is not that cruel to toss you aside, even though he's married. All I can say is follow your heart."

Rindō sniffed and snorted. "Is this one of Budda's teachings?"

Sōmei laughed. "No. Just encouragement from a friend. I'm sure Tsukasa would want you to do the same."

Rindō looked back and smiled. "Thanks, Saitō."

With that, Rindō ran to her dorm, just as Tsukasa walked up to Sōmei.

"At least one of us is able to escape." Tsukasa noted.

"Yeah. Shame we have to stay behind to hold down the fort." Sōmei smiled sadly. "I take it Azami-sama's still going after Naruto?"

"Yeah. I'm telling you, this won't be pretty." Tsukasa groaned, just as he felt some raindrops on his head. "I really bet on the wrong horse here, letting Azami get in my head when I was abroad. And now Tōtsuki's getting torn apart in the crossfire."

"Then let us save and protect those that we can." Sōmei said with finality.

Tsukasa can only nod with a grim look on his face. Sighing, he looked up at the pouring sky - a testament to the school's situation. "I guess I can see why some people hate the rain."

* * *

**[ Meanwhile, in another universe, somewhere in Seoul, South Korea ]**

"Achoo!" Naruko sneezed, and shivered. "I'm soaked! Fucking hell!"

Locking her apartment door, she zoomed over to her computer setup, and put her headset on.

"Naruto, you there?"

"**It's raining cats and dogs out here! What is it?!"** He responded over the sound of the rain.

"Got some possible successful sports bets for ya that I'm sending over now."

"**Thanks," **Naruto sighed as the sound of rain suddenly disappeared. **"I'm at Blue Hills now. I'll look them over when I get into the apartment. Can you check ahead?"**

"Got it!" Naruko said, and looked through some cameras. "Gunner and his cronies are in there fucking about. No Mia or Miss Song."

"**Good. I can focus without all the sex coming from the bedroom…"**

"Just a heads up, though. Kaa-chan and tou-chan want us back in Japan for some mission. Something about Alaska and the science experiments that need investigating, so you'll need to break off from Gunner somehow."

"**Guh, all right. I might flub the rest of the bets and hope for the best."**

"Don't worry, I always have my eye on you. After all… We have a Kingdom to burn!"

"**Yeah, for our nee-chan!"**

* * *

**[ Le Fox Den (a few days later) ]**

Today was another successful day. Customers new and old came in hungry, and left with their bellies full, satisfied from their meals.

The day was turning into night, which meant that the restaurant was beginning to close up. The sign on the door flipped from "Open" to "Close", the staff was either cleaning up the mess, or was practicing their skills, sharpening their blade or trying to invent something new. They gently reminded the lingering customers that they will have to leave soon, much to both party's reluctance.

That was what was going on in the first and second floor. The third floor, however…

"Why?" A new woman stood in the middle of Naruto's bedroom. Despite her beautiful white hair and perfect, pale skin, the woman had a nasty scowl on her face as she growled menacingly.

"Why what?" Naruto asked her innocently, tilting his head.

"Why am I wearing this?!" Ōtsutsuki Kaguya shrieked through sharp teeth, pointing at herself.

While experimenting with seals as his hobby, Naruto managed a way to unseal Kaguya while she was still tied to him via Uzumaki-style Master-Servant Contract; with Naruto as the Master and Kaguya as his Servant.

No, not that kind of Servant.

As for Kaguya's complaints, Naruto had her dressed as a playboy bunny; a black corset with fishnet stockings, complete with the bunny ears and tail. This outfit showed off her shapely body that her robes selfishly hid.

"I'm going to have you be one of the late-night servers." Naruto said with a smile.

"Over my dead- KYA!" Kaguya yelped as Hanabi groped her from behind. "What are you doing, my descendant? Cease thy antics at once!"

"C'mon Aunty. You need to loosen up." Hanabi giggled, giving her ancestor's boobs a squeeze. "God, you're huge! You shouldn't hide a figure like this! Live a little!"

"Eek! Why you-" Kaguya growled, failing to fight off Hanabi. "Kya!" she yelped when she grabbed her rear. "Not there!"

"I think I made a terrible mistake…" Naruto sighed at Hanabi's antics and chuckled. "Meh, maybe not."

"Naruto. She's back." Hinata cut in, pointing at the screens for the security cameras. "And she's got…a suitcase?"

Naruto went up to the screens, and saw Rindō at the front door. As Hinata said, she had a suitcase and was staring up to where Naruto's office was.

"Why don't you let Gamsei handle her?" Hanabi asked while still groping Kaguya.

"No. It seems that she's finally made a decision," Naruto replied with a smile. "I will deal with her myself. Don't tease Kaguya too much now."

"Oh, she'll be just fine." Hinata assured him, and gave him a kiss. "Go get her."

Naruto nodded, and made his way downstairs.

"Seriously, how many women must that boy have before he's satisfied?" Kaguya moaned out. "I mean, he already has those two Sounds girls he revived a week ago. Then there's that Samui girl he hired as a server last week, and that Anko girl is making her way here!"

"To answer your question, as many as he wants! After all, he's technically the last of his clan, not counting Kushina-san, so he qualified for the CRA." Hanabi responded before smirking. "Why? Do you want in?"

"Absolutely not!" Kaguya shrieked, blushing a deep red. "Not after seeing what he does with you both in here!"

"Aww, were you actually peeking during our fun?" Hanabi giggled. "Sounds like someone is _jealous_."

"No I'm not!" Kaguya snapped and looked away.

'_Good thing Naruto-kun has a seal on her powers. Who knows what she would do…'_ Hinata thought, sweatdropping as Hanabi continued to fondle and tease the goddess.

…

Naruto exhaled, before he opened his office doors. Letting it swing shut on its own, he walked/jogged downstairs to meet Rindō.

"Naru-kun." Rindō greeted as Naruto made it to the first floor in front of her. "Where do I sign up?"

Naruto snorted. "I'm surprised you weren't here sooner, Rindō. Did it take you that long to weigh your options?"

"What can I say? It takes a long time for a girl to recover from a broken heart." Rindō laughed nervously. "But yeah, I should've joined you sooner instead of just taking up space here."

"I hope it's not because things went to shit at Tōtsuki. I snuck into the school grounds last weekend, and it's a shadow of its former self." Naruto said as he folded his arms. "Furthermore, how can I be sure you're not a spy to get back at me rejecting you?"

"I already betrayed your trust when I sided with Azami. I may be too late, but I want to get back to the way things used to be, and regain your trust, Naru-kun." Rindō said, before she stepped in real close. "And if you're going to stick it to that food nazi when he comes around, then count me in! Besides, you could use my specialties to add to your menu, ne?" She added with a wink.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, before chuckling. "You know, you're right. The only thing I ask is that you don't make me regret this, dattebayo."

"My Naru-kun, aside from my previous bunder, since when have I disappointed?" She countered, licking her lips.

Naruto stared at her for a moment, before grabbing his walkie-talkie. "Gamsei, get the thing. Rindō-chan's going into the kitchen to cook us her signature dish for her interview."

"**Roger that, mate."**

"Rindō-chan, I'm glad you're with us now. We got some exotic ingredients for you in anticipation for your arrival." Naruto said, gesturing to the kitchen. "Have fun!"

"Just you wait, Naru-kun! I'll whip up something that'll make me your number one chef!" Rindō cheered, before speeding into the kitchen.

"Gah, it's Rindō-senpai!" Megumi wailed in terror.

"Spying on us again?!" Takumi accused, pointing at her.

"Nope. I am 100 percent on your side, guys!" Rindō said and squealed at what was waiting for her. "Oh, so many exotic critters!"

"Nice to see some of that fire back, Rindō-chan." Naruto murmured, before his cell rang, and answered with his wireless headset. "Go ahead."

"**Uzumaki-san. It seems that Azami is continuing his crusade against your restaurant, and is continuing to try to cut off your supplies, regardless of the consequences on his end. What will you do?" **

"He's persistent, I'll give him that. I'm not worried, since I covered my tracks. Besides, the companies and suppliers would find a lot of eggs on their faces if I decided to go to their international competitors should they listen to the ramblings of a tyrant." Naruto said, before making his way to the kitchen. "Losing my restaurant would not be in their best interest, considering the fallout."

"**What about the yakuza? Word is that you made quite the impact on them."**

"After what I did to every single one of their organizations?" Naruto shrugged as he began making ramen batches. "Once again. I'm not worried."

There was an incident in which a member of the yakuza went after his "ex"-girlfriend who was a server at Le Fox Den. He caused such a ruckus that Naruto got involved and promptly kicked the man and his coonies out. The man arrived the next day with an army to invade the restaurant, but he and his mens got their collective asses kicked by Naruto, Hinata, Hanabi, and even Gamsei, who knew a surprising amount of martial arts, and was especially very deadily with his knife. When the yakuza higher-ups refused to punish the man for his transgressions, Naruto took matters into his own hands.

Targeting all the yakuza organizations in Japan in a coordinated attack with Shadow Clones, Naruto invaded their strongholds and beat everyone within an inch of their lives until they surrendered. The only ones who were safe were those of his previous customers. That day, the yakuza learned not to cause problems within Le Fox Den no matter what, and that place along with its owner are to be treated with respect.

Broken bones and bullets sliced in half tends to leave quite the impression.

"**I'll take your word for it. Ironically enough, the other restaurants around Japan are feeling less of the pressure now that Azami has his eyes on you."**

"I'll deal with him in due time, Gin-san." Naruto said, finishing up kneading the dough and slicing it into noodles. "Something tells me it might be soon…"

"**I'll keep you posted. And Senzaemon-sensei sends his greetings."**

"Heh, right back at him-"

"Oi, Naruto. Look who's here." Gamsei suddenly said, jabbing his thumb towards the front doors that just flew open.

It was Azami, and despite the shadow hiding the upper half of his face, it was obvious that he was not happy.

"Speak of the devil and he'll come crawling up your ass." Naruto sighed, and set his batch to the side. "Gin-san, I'll catch you later."

"So what's the plan, boss?" Gamsei asked as Azami approached the kitchen. "I'll all for throwing him out since he's not looking civilized."

"I'll handle that once I make him an offer." Naruto grinned, before exiting the kitchen.

"Will senpai be alright?" Nikumi wondered from her meat-slicing station. "I hope he doesn't do anything drastic."

Gamsei scowled. "Ikumi, I hope that's not A5-grade meat you're slicing there."

"Ah, of course not, Chef! It's B4 meat needed for Takumi's dish!" Nikumi squeaked, trying to avoid Gamsei glower.

"...I'll take your word for it." Gamsei snorted, turning to another station and groaned. "Sōma, you redheaded donut! What the hell are you making now?!"

"We're closing up soon! Let me have some fun!"

Back with Naruto, Naruto met Azami in the middle of the lobby. Naruto was all smiles while Azami glared at him.

"Welcome back to Le Fox Den! What can I do for you, _Nakamura-san_?" Naruto asked with a hint of snide in his voice.

"Uzumaki Naruto, I don't know what tricks you're pulling, but your journey in defying me and my rule ends today. As of today, you and your restaurant are to conform to my standards of True Gourmet. Failure to comply will result in my wrath." Azami stated coldly, leveling a deathly glare at the blonde.

Naruto smiled widely with a fanged grin. "You want me gone that badly? Then let's settle this with a Shokugeki. That's how shit always gets settled, right?"

"Fine with me. I'll go get my son Asahi-"

"Uh, no. No no no. I'll deal with him later. I want _you_ in a Shokugeki, Nakamura Azami. You and me, one-on-one where we take equal risk." Naruto declared, pointing at Azami. "_If_ you win, I'll close my restaurant and you can continue your reign without interference. But _when_ I win, you leave my restaurant alone, and you walk away from the culinary world, _forever_."

Azami frowned as he weighed his options. When he won, he would've secured his footstep on the culinary world. But if he lost, then everything he worked for will go up in smoke.

"Tempting, but by Shokugeki days for long behind me-"

"That's my offer, Azami." Naruto roughly cut across him. "Take it or leave it."

"Are you that afraid of my son?" Azami asked with a sneer.

"No. I'm more focused on cutting off the head of the snake. And that's you. The offer is always open." Naruto countered with a scoff. "However, if your Shokugeki days are over, then how are you even in control of the culinary world if you can't prove your dominance? Why are you even here?"

"I will not be disrespected by a young upstart such as yourself." Azami snarled.

"The fact that you followed up with that response proves how pathetic you are." Naruto snarled back, not backing down. "Fight me in a Shokugeki, or get the hell out of my restaurant."

"...No deal. There will be no Shokugeki between you and I. I will bring you to heel one way or another, Uzumaki."

"**KILL HIM."** Kurama suggested in his mind, the giant, nine-tailed fox growing rather sick of the Orochimaru knock-off's behavior. Naruto had to stop himself from agreeing to that suggestion.

"Right, good luck with that." Naruto nodded and gave a dry laugh. "Now please leave. Final warning."

"How disappointing." Azami said before noticing a certain someone. "Such a shame that a lovely woman such as Kushina-san sired such a foolish son-"

**WHAM**

In the blink of an eye, Azami felt Naruto's fist slam into his face. His feet left the ground and he was sent flying out of the open front doors.

"Well hot damn!" Kushina said as she and Gamsei ran up to Naruto." I was wondering when you were going to do that! Nice!"

Naruto huffed as he brushed off his jacket. "He had it coming dattebayo…"

"Should've done that when he first got here if you ask me." Gamsei added, slapping Naruto on the back of his head. "Nice of him to finally piss off, though."

"Man." Naruto sighed and dragged his hand across his face. He blinked as he finally realized what he just did. "...Ah, shit."

Meanwhile in the kitchen, almost everyone was in various degrees of shock and awe.

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Alice cheered from the kitchen.

"Oh no, we are in so much trouble~" Erina whimpered, looking horrified.

"That's Naruto for you. After watching Kushina-san in action, I can see where he gets his temper from." Tōsuke noted with a chuckle.

"Oh, things are already getting exciting! I love it!" Rindō cheered after butchering and stripping an alligator.

"You think he'll press charges?" Gamsei wondered, looking sideways at Naruto.

Naruto's shoulders shrank as the potential weight of his actions was really beginning to sink in. "Probably. But I may have a solution for that."

Gamsei smirked at that. "Your ninja shit, I take it?"

"Well…" Naruto said, looking away as his eyes switched from his Rinne-Sharingan and back. "Something like that…" he replied with an uneasy grin.

"Boy the next few years are gonna be fun~"

…

Azami was in a heap on the ground, a good few meters away from the restaurant. Every part of his face hurt as he let out a small whine.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…"

* * *

**END OF CHAPTER 02**

**Next time: **Naruto continues operating his restaurant, while keeping an eye out for any of Azami's antics. But a new problem makes it way to the restaurant in the form of a three way feud between the Taimanin, the Demons, and the USF. What's a ninja with enough power to turn Mt. Fuji into a crater to do?

**[Character Info]**

**Name:** Warden Gamsei

**Age:** 25

**Gender:** Male

**Birthday:** June 17

**Height:** 5'8" ft

**Weight:** 185 lbs

**Food Forte:** High-class cuisine

**Cuisine Style:** British, French, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cuisine

**Bio:** The adopted child of Gordon Ramsey. Looking up to the British chef, he became determined to carry on his legacy, going as far as to imitate his behaviorisms, his cooking style, and even his looks. Some mock him for trying to be his clone, but he dismisses them, as he feels that this is his way of showing his love and gratitude towards his father.

* * *

**[Info]**

When it comes to Warden Gamsei, a Gordon Ramsey-seque character was pitched to me. Fun fact, he is originally going to be called Rordon Gamsey.

Soma's been rule'd 63 thanks to a suggestion from one of the reviewers. I was mixed about it at first, but since this is kinda a crackish story, I figured what the hell, let's do this.

Gamsei having the Rebels make their signature dishes is pretty much how Gordon Ramsey starts Hell's Kitchen by having his aspiring chefs make their own signature dishes.

The part where the calls rejected Azami trying to go after Naruto is inspired from a part in one of VFSNAKE's Naruto x Sekirei stories.

The alternate world scene is a teaser to an upcoming Naruto x ero-manhwa story that takes place within the world of Lim Dall-young works and superheroes. Have fun guessing exactly which ero-manhwa I recently read, as Naruto with the help of Naruko will tearing down a Kingdom and burning it to the ground.

The Master-Servant Contract is from Shinmai Maou no Testament/Testament of Sister New Devil.

I wonder what class of Servant Kaguya could be in the Fate series?

Yang from RWBY would be proud of the way Naruto punched Azami out of his restaurant.

Azami plays the role of Hulk-smashed Loki after getting decked out of the restaurant.

* * *

**Released: **Thursday, March 12, 2020

**Edited and corrections:** Friday, March 13, 2020

* * *

Asagi panted as she raced through the night. The cars, the trees, the buildings; just a few of the many blurs as she ran like the wind, trying to lose her pursuers.

"Fuck!" She winced as she grabbed her waist. Her wound was much more severe than she thought. The wound, which was inflicted by an orc, courtesy of their cheap shotguns, was growing worse. At first she thought it was due to all the running and jumping around, but when she took a good look at it, she realized that she was poisoned.

Thankfully it was nothing deadly, and it would eventually wear itself out, but It would only be a matter of time before she blacked out and taken back to Black's lair. No doubt that these guys wanted her alive, and for their own sick desires. That, or they were hired by someone to get her.

Either way, she needed to get out of there, and hide. But where?

The nearest safehouse was too far away, and Gosha Academy was even further away.

The construction site?

...No. Still too risky. They're right behind her tail on their motorcycles and cars, and besides, it was still too dangerous, especially for a woman like her.

Asagi froze for a moment as the poison coursed through her veins again.

'_Shit,'_ She thought. _'It's getting harder to stay awake.'_

Shaking her head, she continued to run, her speed growing noticeably slower. She turned a few corners, and to her relief, she seemed to have lost them for now.

'_Oh no.'_ Asagi thought, staring at her hand. It was growing blurry, seeing double as she tried to stay awake. _'It's only a manner of time-'_

Her eyes widened, and suddenly, she got an idea. It was a stupid idea, and if things went wrong, then innocent people would get in the crossfire.

But it seemed to be the only idea left. All the other buildings are either too dangerous, or are currently locked, and she lost too much strength to try to break in or something.

Gritting her teeth, she sped off, leaving behind a cloud of dust, despite her losing strength.

Panting, her legs began to slow into a halt as her strength began to die down. But she made it.

Looking up, Asagi stared at the restaurant that she knew all too well, and hoped that they would be able to help her.

The Le Fox Den.


	3. Meeting Asagi (Again)

**Author's Notes:** Didn't think I'd have a second update so soon. Time for a third. But for now, I think I'll enjoy some Marvel's Avengers beta on my Twitch channel. Enjoy!

And also, gonna send another commission to Amenoosa soon. Stay tuned for that!

**Special thanks** to Lucius Walker for co-writing and NSG for beta-reading.

**WARNING:** We're entering Taimanin Asagi territory now, which means explicit language and references regarding fucked up inbound. After all, Taimanin Asagi is a HENTAI. You have been warned.

* * *

**Chapter 03 - "Meeting Asagi (Again)" **

* * *

**[Le Fox Den]**

Six months had passed since Tōtsuki's visit, and despite the hostile confrontation, business continued to boom.

Actually, if anything, the food critic's visit only brought more attention to the restaurant, attracting more critics and snooty customers to see if he was worth the attention. They all left, their bellies full and their appetites satisfied, with the majority of them leaving very positive reviews.

With each positive review, the fame of the restaurant increased. Soon, everyday became filled with rush hours, which had Naruto expanding the restaurant space and hiring new workers, most of them students and teachers coming straight from Tōtsuki, which resulted in the school falling further from grace with each passing day.

Funny enough, the restaurant was turning into what Tōtsuki was supposed to be before Azami's takeover. With the surplus money earned, Naruto bought the additional abandoned land behind his restaurant, and was currently working on a school building that would focus on the culinary arts. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing for Naruto, as it wasn't planned, but he got the approval of everyone when he asked if he should do it.

Of course, Naruto didn't want to move too fast, as he got offers and suggestions to make a corporation out of his growing empire. He declined, since he was years away from considering anything like that, and wanted to focus on his singlar restaurant before expanding globally.

"Thank you, Ino," Naruto said to his newest server, who smiled and winked at him. He then turned his attention back to the occupant at his table. "So, with that being said, what do you say? Would you like to run the school I'm having built?"

"Hmm…" Senzaemon hummed and sipped his tea. "An enticing offer, youngun. But what would be in it for me? I am enjoying my vacation after all."

"You get to run the school how you did during my time at Tōtsuki, and properly train your successor if you would like. I know it won't be as big as Tōtsuki itself, but it's a start."

"But what if Tōtsuki is taken back?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Then the school will become a training faculty, dare I say a Shokugeki arena as well." Naruto shrugged, and slurped his ramen. "But I hope it happens. I would rather not make a school that rivals Tōtsuki. It's just a building to continue the other's training and teachings, since the teachers jumped in on the fun here as well."

"I suppose, though my teachings may not be the same. My time away from Tōtsuki has given me time to reflect."

"Senzaemon-sensei, you're not that bad. Your ways are not that of malice, but of growth. Sure, a lot give up when you deem them unworthy of the culinary craft, but I've met a handful that use your words as fuel to better themselves and their techniques. Hell, some of them work here now."

"I see, that is good. I'll think about your offer, Naruto-shounen. Still, I'm surprised you would want me around."

Naruto looked confused. "What do you mean? I love having you around. So do the others."

Senzaemon smirked. "Well, I do know for a fact that you and my granddaughter have gotten…close."

"Geh!" Naruto sweatdropped. "It was _one _date, old man. One. And before you ask, Hinata-chan, Hanabi-chan, and Kaa-chan are okay with it."

"Don't get me wrong, I was just surprised to be honest. I knew you were the type to have multiple wives when I saw you with Hinata-san and Hanabi-san. But as I recall correctly, you and Erina didn't get along well at Tōtsuki." Senzaemon said, stroking his beard. "Did something happen, besides punching Azami out of your restaurant that one time?"

Naruto chuckled. "We had time to talk, and found that we had more in common than we thought. Yes we're close, but not as close as I am Rindō-chan, Alice-chan, and Nikumi-chan. Erina just needs to…open up more, and I want her to feel safe and protect her from that food nazi."

"Indeed. If anyone can break her out of her shell, it's you."

"Eh, I say Sōma-chan's done a great job with that more than me."

"True. By the way, how are Hinata-san and Hanabi-san coming along?"

"Three months in, and their hormones are driving everyone up the wall. Thankfully, kaa-chan is here to help them along." Naruto said with a smile.

Naruto, Hinata, and Hanabi got a bit frisky one night, and both girls ended up pregnant.

"Well, I know for a fact that you'll be a good father, Naruto-shounen."

"Of course! After all, family comes first!"

"Huh, is that supposed to be smoking?!" someone asked loudly from the kitchen.

***KABOOM***

"Sōma, you Shokugeki-crazy dumbass!" Gamsei yelled, walking in with a fire extinguisher. "Are you trying to make mapo curry or a fucking napalm?!"

"Sorry, that didn't come out right!" she squeaked.

"Never a dull moment here, eh?" Senzaemon chuckled while Naruto grumbled.

"I can only hope it's the only kinds of mishaps that happen…"

Of course, it's another part of the restaurant's fame. There are mishaps here and there, but at the end of the day, new discoveries were made, and something great would usually come out of the whole mess. Overall, it was just another dose of entertainment for the customers.

Little did anyone know, things would get even more crazier…

* * *

**[Tokyo]**

Asagi panted as she raced through the night. The cars, the trees, the buildings; just a few of the many blurs in the corridors of her tunnel vision as she ran like the wind, trying to lose her pursuers.

"Fuck!" She winced as she grabbed her waist. Her wound was much more severe than shed thought. The wound, which was inflicted by an orc courtesy of their cheap shotguns, was growing worse. At first she thought it was due to all the running and jumping around, but when she took a good look at it, she realized that she was poisoned.

Thankfully it was nothing deadly, and it would eventually wear itself out, but it would only be a matter of time before she blacked out and was taken back to Black's lair. No doubt those guys wanted her alive, and for their own sick desires. That, or they were hired by someone to get her.

Either way, she needed to get out of there, and hide. But where?

The nearest safehouse was too far away, and Gosha Academy was even further away.

The construction site?

...No. Still too risky. They were right behind her tail on their motorcycles and cars, and besides, it was still too dangerous, especially for a woman like her.

Asagi swayed, then froze for a moment as the poison coursed through her veins again, adrenaline keeping her upright, but only barely.

'_Shit,'_ she thought. _'It's getting harder to stay awake.'_

Shaking her head, she continued to run, her speed growing noticeably slower. She turned a few corners, and to her relief, she seemed to have lost them for now.

'_Oh no.'_ Asagi thought, staring at her hand. It was growing blurry, seeing double as she tried to stay awake. _'It's only a manner of time-'_

Her eyes widened, and suddenly, she got an idea. It was a stupid idea, and if things went wrong, then innocent people would get caught in the crossfire.

But it seemed to be the only idea left. All the other buildings are either too dangerous, or are currently locked, and she lost too much strength and time to try to break in or something.

Gritting her teeth, she sped off, leaving behind a cloud of dust, despite her losing strength.

Panting, her legs began to slow into a halt as her strength began to die down. But she made it.

Looking up, Asagi stared at the restaurant that she knew all too well, and hoped that they would be able to help her.

...

"Thank you for your patronage, and I hope you enjoyed your meal!" Naruto waved another pair of customers goodbye as they left. Even though they didn't say anything, their cheerful and satisfied expressions said it all.

"Wooh! What a rush of customers, huh, sochi?" Kushina walked out of the restaurant, wiping her forehead with her handkerchief.

"You said it, kaa-chan." Naruto groaned, stretching his shoulders. "Would be nice if I could use my Shadow Clones for once."

Quite a shame for the blond that not only was the kitchen crowded enough, but using the Shadow Clone would attract too much attention, and not the good kind.

"...Naruto."

"Yeah, I know." The blond looked relaxed, but that was the illusion taught from his days as an official shinobi.

Before he turned around to head back into the restaurants, his senses began to tingle. His eyes narrowed a little as he detected something speeding towards them at inhuman levels.

'_No lights, no sounds, so probably not a guy on a motorcycle,'_ he thought to himself. _'...An assassin? Shinobi, perhaps?'_

His eyes, which have already adjusted to the darkness of the night, widened as he saw a familiar figure.

Running/hobbling towards them was a woman in a purple, skintight bodysuit, who looked quite injured, judging by the way she was painfully holding her bloody side.

Pumping a little bit of chakra into his eyes, seals glowed for a moment as his pupils widened. He raised his eyebrow as he realized the woman looked familiar despite wearing a ninja facemask.

"Kaa-chan, first aid kit." he commanded.

"On it," she nodded as she ran to get the medical supplies and the extra pair of hands.

Naruto just stood there like a statue, waiting for the woman to come to him. Again, he looked relaxed, but he was prepared to draw his weapon if needed.

The woman finally made it to his doorstep, and her wound looked visibly worse, bleeding out at a faster rate.

"Igawa Asagi-san, right?" he asked, cautiously moving closer.

"...H-help…me," the woman breathed, her face looking pale, before she collapsed onto him.

He caught her just in time, and just before her eyes closed shut, he noticed something in her facial expression, which made him frown.

"...Great," he sighed as he removed his apron. "How troublesome."

* * *

**[Le Fox Den - Infirmary]**

"She'll live," Kushina sighed, ripping off her latex gloves before throwing them away. "Nothing a little antidote, some Blood Pills, and some rest won't fix up from here."

She glanced back at the woman, who was lying peacefully in the bed while being tended to by Hinata with her Healing Jutsu.

"Good thing you decided to install an infirmary here." Gamsei nodded in approval. "Came in handy for this poor lass."

"You never know what can happen in a kitchen." Naruto just shrugged. "Still, it's pretty obvious that she's a lot more than a random, averted statistic."

"I agree," Kushina nodded. She was holding a purple katana, which the woman had on her. Add that with her various other tools and weapons, as well as her skintight outfit that was outfitted with some armor, and this screamed an assassin of some sort.

"Whatever attacked her wasn't human." Hinata noted the state of the woman. "There's too much force behind these wounds of hers, aside from the bullet wounds."

"What do you think she is? Assassin? Maybe even a ninja like you lot?" Gamsei questioned, frowning at the woman.

"Considering her outfit, it could be either or. But if she's part of who I think she is, it would explain her injuries and the poison." Kushina said as she appraised the katana.

"Hm? What do you think she could be?" Naruto asked her.

"I don't know much, but I've heard of various shinobi factions operating outside the Elemental Countries." Kushina said, sheathing the katana. "The most notable one involving killing creatures of the night is the Taimanin - Anti-Demon Ninjas. Their exploits are known to little in our homeland, so they're just considered a myth."

"If she was pursued, why would she come here?" Gamsei wondered.

"She was probably far away from one of her safehouses, and she figured that we were her only chance of survival. Still, she's one of our regular customers, and her sister Sakura works part-time here in our delivery department as well." Naruto said, and went to the phone. "I'll call and-"

There was a huge boom that rattled the building and cracked the windows, making everyone jump.

"Crap! Hinata-chan, stay with her. Kaa-chan, Gamsei, with me!" Naruto commanded, with Gamasei and Kushina following him out.

They ran to the first floor, where they saw the front doors were blown open, and the ones responsible were now inside.

"Who are these ugly pieces of shit?" Gamsei spat out when he saw the men - or rather, the green-skinned orcs - responsible for the damage.

Naruto was no stranger to the orcs, learning of their existence when he'd moved to the city. Fascinated, his curiosity turned into disgust when he realized that many of them seemed to exist purely to destroy and violate women. And yet, they were allowed to live close to the people - even though they were mostly segregated from the city, mainly living on the artificial island, Tokyo Kingdom.

"Those were specially-made…8,000,000 yen…hand-carved mahogany doors…" Naruto took a sharp inhale, before smiling. "So, how can we help you?"

"**Well, look what we have here boys. Two meatbags and a toilet."** the leader boomed with his subordinates laughing.

"Fucking hell, they can talk?" Gamsei asked in mock surprise. "And toilet? The fuck you mean by that?"

Even as he asked that last question, he had a feeling in the pit of his stomach on what they were referring to, judging by their licking lips and the nasty leers they were giving to Kushina.

"Well, at least they're honest…" Kushina huffed, fingering her hair lazily.

"**We know you got that Taimanin bitch in the back or something,"** one of them said, scratching at his gun. **"Tell you what: you give us that Taimanin...and that redhead over there, and maybe we won't kill you and burn down this place."**

One of them hooted at the idea of having their way with the red headed woman.

"_Very_ honest." Gamsei snorted, wincing at the murderous intent Kushina was now radiating.

"Allow me a rebuttal." Naruto glared, mentally hoping the other occupants stayed in the dorms and his fellow shinobi are protecting the others. "You pay for the doors you assholes just broke, and we won't turn you into compost for my personal garden. Oh, and you better apologize to my mother about what you said to her."

Despite his somewhat calm tone, it was taking a lot out of the chef to avoid exploding into anger and action. However, his years of training under Jiraiya and his time in the cooking academy taught him to stay calm, and to avoid jumping into the fire without thinking.

"**Oh ho, she's a MILF? That's even better!"** One of them laughed. **"You know what boys, I changed my mind. How about we leave that blond alive so that he can watch us break his mom in front of him? Maybe she can give him a cute little baby as a farewell gift before she comes live with us."**

They roared at that thought, their large mouths oozing with drool as they slobbered at the thought of making her their personal meat-toilet.

'_At least they distract easily. Still…'_ Naruto thought, and growled angrily, his eyes turning red with slits.

Naruto noticed out of the corners of his eye a couple kunoichi who came to work with him, who was hiding out of sight and was ready to back them up should things go south. "I know that this is a stupid question, given your career and your lifestyle, but are you lot the religious type?" he summoned his sword Ribbon into his hands, twirled it around, before wielding it in a reverse-grip.. "If so...you assholes better start praying…"

"**Enough of this! Kill the meatbags, take the girls, and let their gods sort them out!"**

The leader charged forward at Naruto, and swung down on him with his oversized cleaver. It suddenly stopped in midair by nearly-invisible wires, with the blade just inches to an unflinching Naruto's face.

"Gamsei, if you may."

The orc stumbled back as his arm suddenly exploded into bloody chunks of gory bits.

"**RRAGGHHH!"** the leader roared, crying over his now blood stump. **"What was that?!"**

"Me getting serious, mate." Gamsei growled as he walked towards, wearing gloves that had wires protruding from them. "Name's Gamsei by the way. Tōtsuki graduate and Line chef of this establishment. I check the food, and help the employees with their dishes. And I also deal with self-entitled pieces of shit like yourselves."

***SLNK***

"**AAAAAAH!"** Another one of the orcs wailed in pain as he stumbled back, before he fell over.

"Huh, still got it." Kushina grinned, her hair bun now undone. Her hair pin, which held her hair together, was now lodged into one of the orc's eyes. "Now, then,"

Sending a pulse of chakra into her arm, a sword popped into existence in a cloud of smoke, and just like that, the Uzumaki was armed with a deadly weapon of her own: a blood-red and black katana she called 'The Red Death.'

"What was it you said about breaking me?" A savage grin stretched across her beautiful face, her hair writhing about as if it came to life.

With a yell, she disappeared into a red blur, decapitating two orcs at once, including the one with her hair pin in his eye.

"**Shit!"** Another one of them roared, trying to get a good shot at her. Before he could pull the trigger, his gun suddenly fell into pieces, cut neatly into metal cubes in his hands.

Before he could figure out what was going on, his head was sent flying, courtesy of Naruto beheading him with Ribbon. He then dodged an incoming strike and countered with a stab into the attacking orc's neck, twisting the blade for good measure.

"Be lucky it's just us. We keep a cranky rabbit goddess around that would make more of a mess out of you that we're making right now." Naruto drawled, ending three orcs with kunai to their heads after they were bound by Gamsei.

"You underestimate me, descendant!"

"Oh geez…" Naruto groaned.

Ootsutsuki Kaguya leapt from the top of the second-floor stairs, chakra chains protruding from her back with elongated nails. She joined the fray, slashing nearby orcs in their throats and using her chains to stab the rushing orcs in their heads.

Soon, the numbers thinned out with only a few left, with Kushina finishing them off with her Red Death. The leader was still alive, but was bound by Gamsei's deadly wires after he deprived the orc of his limbs.

"So, about that apology..." Naruto said, cleaning his blade with a spare rag.

"**Fuck you! You think you won? Black-sama will avenge me and my brethren! His army will storm this shithole in my memory, and burn it to the ground! You'll rue the day you decided to take in that Taimanin slut and interfere in Black-sama's business!" **the orc snarled.

"Never heard of this Black guy, but I'm sure we'll meet soon if he has a problem with what happened tonight." Naruto growled. "Too bad you won't be there to see it. Until then, Anko!"

Kushina's former student, Mitarashi Anko, landed next to them, along with Samui, formerly of Cloud. Anko was dressed in her usual fishnet outfit, which, combined with her trench coat, barely hid anything. Despite the situation he was in, the orc paused to admire their sexiness.

"Yeah, hot stuff?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, before he continued. "Squeeze everything you can out of this piece of filth. More importantly, find out who this "Black-sama" is, and why he wants my guest."

"Heh, you'll have everything by tomorrow." she smirked, taking the mangled orc and disappearing with Samui in a flash to the "interrogation" room she'd begged Naruto to have installed in the basement area.

"Something tells me that we just dove headfirst into some shit, mate. Worse, the name Black sounds familiar, and not in a good way…" Gamsei said as he withdrew his wires.

"Man, I picked a really crappy spot to open my restaurant, huh?" Naruto groaned, summoning some Shadow Clones to clean up the mess. "Let's hope that Igawa-san can give us some more details about this whole business."

Pausing once more to look at the mess, he turned and returned to the Infirmary.

* * *

**[Le Fox Den, Infirmary]**

"How's the patient?" Naruto asked as he, Gamsei, Kushina, and Kaguya walked inside.

"She's awake, but a bit loopy because of the small dose sedative I used. She's responding well to my treatments." Hinata said as she continued her physical examination on Asagi. "But I'm more worried about what happened to her."

Kushina frowned at this. "Elaborate."

"At first I thought it was just surgery, or some full body damage that has been repaired, but then I realized that it was a type of body modification - and not the good kind. From what I can tell with my Byakugan, I think poor Igawa-san has had her body modified for pure pleasure."

"...Shit." Naruto muttered, looking at Asagi with concern. "Will she recover?"

"Fortunately, her body's barely showing any signs of it, but I'm afraid that the moment she feels any kind of pleasure, she might relapse just from the memory of whatever hell she went through."

"...Fuck." Naruto swore.

"I mean, I trust that whoever fixed her did a good enough job, but, you know…"

Naruto let out a sigh as he sat down, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Ah, shit. I think I might know who that Black fellow is that the orc was talking about." Gamsei groaned. "Not personal, just word of mouth from the local yakuza. Now, I don't know how true this is, but if the rumors aren't dicking around, Edwin Black is a powerful vampire that pretty much rules the criminal underworld or something. Or maybe he just rules the demons, I dunno."

"A vampire. Are you fucking-" Naruto facepalmed. "Just great. Gonna have to invest in some silver…if it's true."

"If Edwin Black makes a reservation, then I'll shoot him to the top of the list. Hopefully, he's the civilized type." Kushina offered.

"It would be nice if we could stay out of each other's business for good." Naruto grunted, rubbing the back of this head. "Oh, who am I kidding? We're probably going to get into another pissing contest, sooner or later."

It was true that he was strong - probably the strongest being in the world - but the one rule that all shinobi must follow is to _never underestimate your enemies_. If Edwin Black was a bigger deal than Naruto suspected, then he needed to learn more about him and fast, and to see if he is going to be a problem for not just him, but for his loved ones here, and even back at the Elemental Nations.

"That…may be true." Kaguya suddenly spoke up, causing everyone to look at her. "Because…I met him around 700 years ago…"

"…WHAT?!" they yelled.

"Yes, I did. Everything you said about the man sounds like him, including the vampire part. And yes, mythical creatures like vampires are real. One thing I should add is that he has a certain...attraction to strong women, and tried to bed me multiple times. I thought I killed him when my answer was the form of my All-Killing Ash Bones, but it sounds like he survived," Kaguya grumbled.

"Should've confirmed your kill. Best not to be around if he shows up here." Kushina said, with a rain cloud forming over Kaguya's head. "Anything else?"

"Don't know because I didn't care. I was in a foul mood at the time, so I wanted him gone and flew away." Kaguya admitted, with rain pouring on her now.

"Very useful, you are Miss Goddess," Gamsei growled, having proved ages ago that he didn't fear her. "Still, we'll need extra protection for our female staff in case he might fancy them."

"You leave that to mem" Kushina assured him. "For now, it's business as usual."

"So what do we do about Asagi-san here?" Hinata asked, noting that she was trying to get her wits about her. "She's in no condition to move, let alone fend for herself."

"We'll have Sakura-san pick her up. And just as a precaution, we'll have one of our own watch them to their residence." Naruto nodded. "Hopefully, this could help build a good relationship with these Taimanin, whoever they are, and show them we mean no harm. For now, we'll put her in the guest room in my personal quarters."

Hinata nodded. "It's best we move her up now."

"Alright. For now, continue closing up Gamsei, and not a word to the others until tomorrow." Naruto instructed his sous chef. "Don't want to cause a panic that'll keep anyone up."

"Roger that." Gamsei said before taking his leave.

"I'll update the seals we have around the premise." Kushina added, teleporting out.

"I guess I'll calm down the little brats or something. Maybe brief the other little shinobi girls too. Don't want to be a useless goddess or something…" Kaguya used her portal to leave.

Naruto was left alone in the Infirmary, save for Asagi and Hinata, the latter of whom was massaging his shoulders as he went back to rubbing his eyes.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan. Ugh. What did you get me into, Igawa-san?"

While he did not regret saving her, he certainly wasn't looking forward to facing the consequences of doing so.

Shelving his complaint in the back of his mind, he picked up Asagi bridal-style and left the Infirmary with Hinata.

* * *

**(The next day)**

Something was off.

Well, it wasn't off in a wrong way, given how Asagi was sleeping in a warm, clean room in a comfortable bed, and certainly not strapped to some bizarre, biological sex machine.

Just the thought of being back in that moment gave Asagi the shivers, and she had to fight down the urge to scream and panic. After taking some deep, meditative breaths, she finally got a good look around her.

Much to her relief and surprise, when she rubbed her eyes and pinched herself, she didn't find herself in a sex dungeon or a "bitch breaking chamber," as some of the lowlives liked to call it. No, she was in what she guessed was a guest bedroom, which looked rather luxurious, almost like a hotel room.

Suddenly, she began to remember:

_The usual patrol. The ambush led by Oboro. Her injuring Oboro and forcing her to retreat. Sakura trying to pursue Oboro. Her minions, who managed to land a lucky blow on her thanks to Oboro's dirty tactics. Her running to the Le Fox Den before blacking out in front of the owner, Uzumaki Naruto. Her being healed by his wife, Uzumaki Hinata, who healed her wounds with a strange technique, and hearing her muffled voice as she talked about Naruto and his staff. She couldn't recall what was said, due to her being out of it from Hinata's ministrations._

The door suddenly opened, making her jump and getting into a defense position.

"Ah, you're awake." The girl who she quickly recognized as Uzumaki Hanabi, Hinata's sister, said cheerfully, coming in with a tray of food. "We were worried that it would take a while for you to recover, but it seems that you Taimanin are made of strong stuff. Glad to see that you made a full recovery, Igawa-san."

"Uzumaki…Hanabi?" Asagi said cautiously as Hanabi set the tray of food in front of her. "Where am I? How long was I out?"

"You're in one of Naruto-kun's guest rooms above the Le Fox Den. You've been out like a light all morning. It's late in the afternoon now." Hanabi answered in order. "Nee-san says you shouldn't move around much after waking up. She fixed you up, but you were quite banged up when you came here."

"What about the orcs? Is everyone all right?" Asagi asked urgently, remembering her pursuits and how they tracked her.

"The only casualties were the doors, the carpet, and the orcs that came knocking. Other than them, no one else was hurt." Hanabi said brightly. "The orcs' leader survived the onslaught, but he didn't live to see the sunrise after we were through with him. Business as usual."

Asagi looked shocked that Hanabi was talking about the orcs as if they were a minor inconvenience. She was worried that she had innocent blood on her hands, but everyone made it out okay.

"You don't need to feel bad for bringing trouble to our doorstep, by the way." The pale-eyed girl reassured her. "We get it - you needed help, and we were the only ones you could think of. And like I said before, we handled it. Now rest up! Your sister is working her shift and she'll take you home afterwards."

"Wait."

The brunette stopped in her tracks, looking back at her.

"H-...how are you guys strong?" she finally worked up the courage to ask. "Are you guys ex-Taimanin? UFS?"

The look of confusion at that last part said enough, but it didn't answer the first part.

"...Let's just say that we're not from around these parts." She gave her a sly wink, before she walked out the door. "Enjoy the meal! Free of charge!"

Asagi watched Hanabi go, and looked down at the tray. On it was some sushi, sashimi, tempura, yakitori, rice balls, miso soup, and ramen.

Hesitant, she slowly picked up her chopsticks, muttered words of thanks, before she took a bite out of the sashimi. The moment the fish touched her tongue, she found herself eating more and more, the flavors exploding in her mouth like fireworks.

"Delicious!" she squealed, relishing the taste. "I wonder who made this?"

* * *

**[Le Fox Den, First floor]**

While walking over to Kushina, who'd called him over for something important, Naruto sneezed into a napkin.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I'll live," he replied, tossing the napkin into the nearest trash bin. "What's up?"

"Well, it didn't take long. Edwin Black called in for a reservation. I gave him the earliest that he was available. He'll be here next weekend, Saturday evening. He called for a table for three, and I'm guessing those are his bodyguards to flex his muscles with," Kushina reported while looking quite peeved. "And from the sound of it, he knows what we did, and might fish for information."

Naruto snorted. "And he will leave with nothing. He may be some big shot in the underworld, but he'll be stepping into my world now. And if he presses the issue, he'll be leaving with a nice souvenir we have on ice - a little reminder to not fuck with us."

"Careful not to be so arrogant on this, Naruto. And it's best to be polite first as well. According to the orc before we killed him, Black does actually have a code of honor, and if he is just here to talk, then that's all he's going to do...for now, anyways, so if you swing first, he will most likely retaliate brutally."

"A Noble Demon, huh? I'll keep that in mind, being the respectable owner that I am." Naruto grunted. "We have a few days, so there's plenty of time to prepare. Also, has Sakura been told about her sister?"

"Not yet, but she seemed to be in a hurry, and looked stressed out earlier. She probably wants to finish her shift to look for her sister." Kushina said, with Naruto sighing. "She's finishing up a delivery right now."

"Have her report directly to me when she returns."

"Right. Finally, Nakamura-san called with his usual demands."

Naruto's eyebrows twitched in irritation. It just seemed like the poor blond couldn't get a break. "And?"

"I declined on your behalf. It was the same BS as usual, though it sounds like he's getting desperate."

Just last week, Naruto took a stroll to Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, and saw it no longer had the look of an illustrious school young people dreamed of going to perfect their culinary craft. The main gate looked as if it's seen better days, the building looked abandoned and dusty inside, no one was walking outside mingling and running late to classes, the trees and flowers around the campus were wilting. There was constant bad weather, which did little to improve the image.

Worse, Tōtsuki was on the verge of being closed down. The overwhelming census to students (and even the staff) leaving was due to the stifling restrictions to creativity and the absolute focus on gourmet cooking. There were barely any students left to function as a school, and even those students were looking to depart. Surprisingly, even the troublemakers that might've made Tōtsuki a lawless playground left as well.

All in all, it was turning into a ghost town - er, school.

"Hmp. I guess even _he_ could figure out that his actions are costing him more than what it's worth. Makes me wonder if he'll actually admit he's wrong, or whether he'll keep denying climate change while burning his bridges down."

"I guess only time will tell." Kushina chuckled.

Just then, another blonde dashed into view, panting as she was already back in her casual outfit.

"I'mdoneNaruto-buchou! CanIplease-"

"Your sister's fine, Igawa-san." Naruto interrupted her, causing her to almost choke on her words in shock.

"Wait, how did you-?"

"Long story short, she got injured, stumbled into our place, and we took care of her. Come, I'll take you to her." he said, motioning for her to allow.

When they entered the back area, he wrapped his arm around her.

"Hold tight." he said, using Hiraishin to teleport them both to his private quarters. "Here we go."

"Woah, what was that?" Sakura asked, stepping away from him. "How did you do that?"

"Trade secret. And we're above the restaurant." Naruto said as Hinata and Hanabi came up to him. "How is she?"

"Awake and responding well." Hinata said and noticed Sakura. "Nice to see you again, Sakura-san. Hope the Hiraishin wasn't too rough. Come, Asagi-san is right this way."

They led Sakura to the guest room, where Asagi was slowly trying to get out of bed.

"Onee-san!" Sakura cried, rushing over and hugging her. "Thank goodness you're alright!"

"Ah, Sakura! Don't worry, I'm fine," she said, returning the hug. "What about Oboro?"

Sakura shook her head. "I'm sorry, but she got away. She was leading me away for the orcs to get to you again."

"They nearly did, until I was rescued by Uzumaki-san." Asagi said with a grateful look at Naruto and Hanabi. "I owe you one."

"It's fine. You came for help, and we delivered." Naruto said with a nod. "I'm sure you're looking to get back home now, but I suggest getting one last check-up from Hinata-chan before departing. And don't worry, your secret is safe with us." he added with a thumbs up.

"Wait!" Asagi called out to him as he turned to leave. "If you're not an ex-Taimanin or part of the UFS, then who are you?!"

Naruto smirked. "Just a humble restaurant owner looking to make good food and bring smiles to the many people of the world."

* * *

**[Le Fox Den rooftop, a while later]**

"I'm curious, sochi, are you going to tell them about Black?"

Kushina was standing near Naruto, watching the Igawa sisters leave for home. After figuring out that they weren't going to get the answers they wanted, they promptly left, although not before giving them their thanks once again.

"No, I'm sure that we can handle ourselves. Besides, I'm sure that they got enough on their plates already." Naruto muttered, watching their car fade into the distance, with Samui following him.

"...You really are too nice for your own good, Naruto."

"Yeah, I know."

He stared at Tokyo City skyline, before his eyes traveled to the artificial island, which was filled with all sorts of depravity. Tokyo Kingdom suddenly looked a lot closer than it had before.

"Are you nervous?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not at all. Just worried and…shamefully excited about what's going to happen now. All I can do is protect my family, my restaurant, and my patrons from the shitstorm that's about to unfold."

"In a way, that makes you a Kage, Naruto." Kushina said teasingly.

"I guess. But for right now, I'm going to focus on what I have going." Naruto said and stood out stretching. "Oh yeah, we should also look into the UFS as well-"

"**Naruto, you might wanna get in here. We have a visitor looking for you on behalf of…Nakamura-san…"** Gamsei's voice said over the comms.

"Lovely." Naruto groaned as he and Kushina teleported to his office.

* * *

**[Le Fox Den, First floor]**

Naruto exited the office with Kushina, and went downstairs to see an annoyed Gamsei waiting for him. Next to him was a person he didn't know, who was a handsome young man with messy dark hair, gray eyes, pale-skin, and a fairly laid-back demeanor.

"May I help you, sir?" Naruto asked.

"Ah, you must be the great Uzumaki Naruto. My dad's told me all about you." the man said before putting out his hand. "The name's Saiba Asahi. Pleased to meet you."

Naruto smiled as he shook his hand. "Pleasure's all mine, Saiba-san. I heard a lot about you, from being a master of the Cross Knives, being Yukihira Jōichirō's disciple, to being the illegitimate son of Nakamura Azami, who helped the latter with taking over Tōtsuki."

"Ah, I see you've learned quite a bit about me." Asashi said with a laugh.

"My staff told me all about you and the way you handed their asses on a silver platter to help your dad win. You must be quite skilled in order to have crushed the competition like that. Sure you're not a shinobi or something?" Naruto said with an impressed look.

"Eh, I get that a lot, considering my skill set." Asahi said. "But enough with me. I'm sure you know why I'm here, Uzumaki-san."

"Enlighten me."

"I challenge you to a Shokugeki."

"Figures."

"I win, you follow my father's doctrine. I lose, we leave you alone. Simple."

"And it will always be no. It will either be your father and I doing battle, or no Shokugeki at all." Naruto said with stained politeness. "I refuse to go through anyone, including this son, to get to him. And no, it's not due to 'cowardice' or whatever you guys keep telling yourselves. He threw the glove, he gets in the ring. No more proxy fights. No more cold war. Just one leader against the other. And that's final."

Asahi shook his head. "Well, that's a shame. I wonder how the culinary world will react to you declining my challenge. I mean, I do have connections separate from my father and-"

"Oh, do save your breath." Naruto cut him off, narrowing his eyes. "Whatever power you had behind your bark _and_ your bite was gone the minute you began starving yourselves. With every person that leaves Tōtsuki, that's one less card you have left in your hands and up your sleeves. I, on the other hand, play the game right, and thus, I have all the cards in my hands and up my sleeves. And remember, you guys pretty much gave me your best cards. Whine all you want, lay on your backs and beg for my help, it doesn't matter, because I'm not going to save a sinking, rotting ship when all I have to do is open my doors to those that want to leave yours, so quit trying to hold me hostage when I know that your gun doesn't even have blanks anymore. It was funny at first, but now it's just annoying, and _I_ still have customers to feed and paychecks to write."

"That's unfortunate. Still, my father won't budge on this."

"Ya know what, I've had enough of this fuckin' crap. My boss won't fight you for good reason, but I'm open for business, ya posh prick." Gamsei declared, stepping up and glared at Asahi. "Word on the street is that fighting you is like going up against multiple chefs at once with that Cross Knives of yours. And I have to say, it intrigues me a lot. My name is Warden Gamsei, student of Gordon Ramsey and sou chef here, and I challenge you to a Shokugeki, Saiba Asahi. No teams, just you and me, one-on-one. Do ya accept like a man, or yield like a bitch?"

"...Well, this is new. Normally people would be nervous of challenging me when they know what I can do. But what the hell. Just another knife to add to my collection, especially when it's the legacy of the legendary Gordon Ramsey. Fine, I accept." Asahi shrugged with a sly smile. "When do we do this?"

Gamsei looked over at Naruto, who leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Gamsei smirked at that and nodded.

"This weekend, Saturday night. Here, in the restaurant." he said.

"Fine by me. You chose the theme."

"Hmm," Gamsei put on a thinking face and snapped his fingers. "A high-class take on Southern American Barbeque cuisine."

Asahi frowned at that. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"Aw, what's wrong? I thought you should like a challenge. Or did you never learn how to cook a simple barbeque?" Gamsei laughed.

"...Fine. We'll see where the knife falls this weekend."

Asahi turned and left the restaurant. As the doors closed behind him, he turned to see the ones he'd defeated staring at him from the kitchen, and smirked.

"See you soon, Erina." he whispered, before he walked off.

"Oh, we're about to see an instant classic!" Nakiri Alice squealed.

"Can it be done? I mean, we all worked together, and he still beat us!" Tadokoro Megumi whined.

"Yeah, so did Gamsei-san when we took him on in groups of three." Hayama Akira pointed out. "And he still beat all of us, and he was bored at the time. If anyone has a chance, it's him."

"Grr, I still want that rematch!" Kurokiba Ryō growled as he furiously chopped up some fish for an order.

"Charming boy." Kushina scoffed as the door closed "A bit more than his father, I suppose."

"I can only hope that this will force Nakamura into the spotlight once he realizes he has nothing or no one to hide behind anymore. And I'm counting on you, Gamsei." Naruto said, fistbumping his Head Chef. "Got an idea on how to handle the Uchiha wannabe?"

"Of course, Boss." Gamsei replied regally. "I shall show exactly what an underground chap like him lacks and what I have in spades…the essence of a true chef."

* * *

**[Igawa residence, the next day]**

"Hey! So did you find anything about them?" Sakura asked as she got ready to go to work.

Asagi shook her head. "Gosha has nothing on them. It's like they came out of nowhere. I did sense something when I first went there with Kyōsuke. I thought I imagined it, but now I can't find it. If they're not ex-Taimanin, then where did they come from?"

"Maybe that hidden country beyond the mist in the Pacific?" Sakura wondered. "Where is it said they have techniques that shake the heavens?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I'm sure they're not as hostile as the USF and the Demons. But it's best to keep an eye on them."

"That's easy enough since I have a job with them."

"There is something else. The Academy intercepted a message from Tokyo Kingdom. Turns out that Edwin Black made a reservation with Le Fox Den for this Saturday. It can't be a coincidence that this happened a day after the orcs were defeated by Naruto-san and his group. I'm worried."

"Hmm… It must be a meeting between the two. If it's all hands on deck for the night, I can work as a server and get eyes and ears on them." Sakura offered, but Asagi shook her head.

"Too risky. If he sees us, he could assume that we're attempting an ambush, and while he's not the type to jump to conclusions, knowing how dangerous he is, we absolutely cannot afford to piss him off and get Naruto-san in trouble."

"But wouldn't he detect us anyways even if we chose the sneakier route?"

"Maybe," Asagi admitted, fiddling with her katana nervously. "But then again, somehow he always knows when we're around him. Worse, he reserved himself and two others, so that chances of getting recognized are high!"

"Even if I got caught, I'm sure the Boss would protect me from Black. He treats the staff like family. When one of the lower-tier yakuza tried to drag his ex-girlfriend away, Naruto personally kicked his ass and threw him out. He returned with his goons, and they were sent to the hospital, and…and…" Sakura trailed off.

"What is it?"

"Remember the intelligence report on all the yakuza bases being attacked? They said that it was the Boss. Somehow, he hit all of their hideouts and beat everyone within an inch of their lives. No member was spared. Afterwards, the yakuza designated Le Fox Den as a place to be respectful, and any of their members causing trouble there would be severely punished."

"Oh yeah, that's right. Since he had a solid alibi, we just thought that it was either a rumor, or maybe a Doppelganger used his face or something. Either way, we watched his place for a while before we gave up, since he did the police a favor by knocking them down a peg anyways." Asagi recalled.

"Look, let me work my night shift, and you guys can back me up if things go really south. I'll even have a microphone so you all can listen in." Sakura suggested. "Don't worry, I'll be fine, especially since the Boss and his wives are total badasses!"

Asagi nodded. "...Let me run it by the Academy, okay?"

"Awesome! Gotta go! Don't want to be late for work! See ya tonight!" Sakura said, before leaving on her bike.

"Be safe!" Asagi called after her.

She then went upstairs to her room, and retreated to her thoughts.

'_Just what kind of man is he?'_ she began to wonder, her hand unconsciously rubbing her side. _'He's strong enough to cripple the yakuza and take on a group of orcs, and yet, he chooses to run a restaurant. Is that just a front, or is that all there is to him?'_

The more she began to think about the blond, the more questions she began to have about him.

"_**He is a worthy mate, Asagi."**_

"Eh?!" Asagi yelped, looking around for the sudden mysterious voice, which sounded feminine in nature. She didn't find anyone, which put her on edge. "Who's there?!"

"_**Ah ah ah, not yet my queen. Only when you've proven yourself to be a competent Taimanin instead of a worthless cumdumpster, will I show myself to you…again. Until then, why don't you chase that hunk of a chef to fill that hole in your heart?"**_

The voice faded away, leaving Asagi still on high alert. The voice sounded familiar to her, within the haze of memories from her time in Black's Chaos Arena, both where she was physically and mentally tortured and humiliated, and lost her love Kyōsuke.

'_Dammit, must be the after-effects of that poison…or those damn modifications.'_ she guessed, shivering at the nightmarish memories, and clamped down on the forbidden sensations threatening to rise up.

After slipping into her ninja attire, her cell rang with details of various monster sightings. She smirked at it under her mask, and disappeared through the window.

She needed to blow off some steam.

**END OF CHAPTER 03**

* * *

**Next time**: Naruto Uzumaki meets Edwin Black, with Warden Gamsei taking on Asahi Saiba in a Shougeki as the main attraction. How will the meeting go? And will Gamsei be able to knock Asahi down a peg?

* * *

**[Info]**

Yep, more Naruto girls are working in his restaurant.

I'm on the fence whether or not Tōtsuki should be abandoned outright or taken back. Let us know in the reviews and/or PMs.

Sōma's exploding curry and Gamsei's reaction is a reference to the second episode of _Final Fantasy 7_ Machinabridged.

The mahogany doors is a reference to _The Emperor's New Groove_, with the way Naruto saying it being a reference to _Hellsing Abridged_ episode 2.

Watching Hellsing Abridged so much gave me the idea to give Gamsei Walter C. Dornez's wires (and some of his mannerisms) to keep up with the other shinobi.

Kaguya can use her nails like Deathstrike from X2: United.

When it comes to Sakura now, it refers to Igawa, not Haruno.

"Smiles to the many people of the world." Naruto channeling Abridged!Anderson from _Hellsing Abridged_.

When it comes to Asahi Saiba, I know a little about him from word of mouth. Something about him NTRing Sōma by taking Erina or something like that. I'll be watching the next season of Food Wars soon (and continue on with the manga as well).

The one talking to Asagi is her demon self, Kage. It's a shame there's not many Kage pics out there.

* * *

**(Author's Note)**

**SoulEmbrace2010: **Welp, gonna attempt to write an original Shokugeki battle. While I'm getting tips from my Discord, I'd appreciate some assistance on this in the reviews and/or PMs. Also FF dot net, please restore PM notifications, thank you. Don't know which story I'll do next, but we shall see together. Ja ne!

**Lucius Walker**: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If there's any tips or Taimanin lore you folks can offer us, that would be greatly appreciated! ^^

PS: Would you guys be interested in some alternate bad endings for this fic? Since it's Taimanin we're talking about, I think you guys can see what we're talking about. If that's the case, then please comment about it, and please do take the poll before it ends!

**Released (8/14/2020)**

**Update from Soul (8/14/2020):** I've closed the poll. The bad end idea wasn't my idea and we're NOT doing it.

**Edited (8/15/2020)**

**Update from Lucius Walker (8/15/2020)**: To those of you people in Soul's PMs that lost it at the mere idea of the alternate bad ending...shame on you. First of all, the alternate bad ending was my idea, and it wasn't meant to be "canon." Yeah, we should've made that a bit clearer, but you guys didn't even try to figure out who was the witch before you crucified the wrong guy. Secondly, it was just a suggestion. I get that you're probably here because Soul's works tend to be more wholesome, but what was NOT wholesome was how quick you were to start calling him names the minute we even suggested it. While you have your right to not want the alternate bad ending, and while you have your right to have your opinions about it, you have no right to be a bully about it. If you were against it, just say so in a polite manner. No one threw the stones first, so why did you?

I'm talking to you, jmg1988.

Prick.

PS: Having a rape fetish doesn't make you a bad person. Nobody plays _Call of Duty_ because they hate the violence. They do like the violence, but that doesn't mean a thing about them as a person. Remember this the next time someone tries to shame you for what you like, as taboo as it might be. So enjoy franchises like _Taimanin_ guilt free, while promising yourself to never actually do it in real life.

**Beta-read by NSG (8/16/2020)**

* * *

**[Omake - Rindō's Late Night Wandering]**

_**(3:00am)**_

"Ugh," Kobayashi Rindō groaned as she sat up from her bed. "Bathroom…"

The redhead put on a dress shirt and a pair of panties, since she mostly slept in the nude. She then slipped out of the bedroom she shared with Mito Ikumi, and went into the restroom.

After relieving herself, she stepped out and tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't as she was wide awake. She had the option of getting in some late-night practice but decided not to.

She wanted to sneak into Naruto's private quarters to see his sleeping face…and draw on it as a prank.

With a mischievous smile on her face, she tried to find a way into it. She tried Naruto's office, but it was locked. She tried the private elevator in the back of the kitchen, but it was disabled as well. Undeterred, she looked for a way into the vents, and, when she got brave enough, went into the basement, which was off-limits. To her pleasant surprise, she found the opening to the dumbwaiter lift.

She squeezed into the shaft and climbed up, her years off adventuring in the wilds paying off. Soon she reached the third floor and found herself in the kitchen area.

'_Wow, you could do a Shokugeki in here.'_ she thought as she pulled herself out of the shaft. _'And it such a wide area too.'_ she added, seeing the entertainment and exercise areas.

She looked around, admiring the open area, before spotting the doors that appeared to lead in the Master Bedroom.

'_Bingo.'_ she grinned, before tip-toeing to her destination. _'Hm?'_

She paused in her steps when she realized that the door was ajar. Her frown turning back into a grin, she began to tip-toe again towards her destination. Arriving at her destination, she bent down and looked through the crack.

SLURP! SLURP! SLURP! SLURP!

Her eyes widened at the sight of Hinata and Hanabi Uzumaki devouring Naruto's large cock. Hanabi was eagerly bobbing her head up and down his large shaft, while Hinata latched onto his balls. Rindō noticed how Hinata was glancing at her sister with some jealousy even as she nuzzled against his massive testicles.

"Fuck, Hanabi, I knew you were pretty naughty, but I didn't think that you - _fuck!_ \- really know how to give head!" Naruto groaned, his hands gripping the bed sheets as he tried to hold back his orgasm.

"What can I say?" Hanabi boasted, giving his dick a long lick and stroking his towering shaft. "Anko-sensei is a good teacher, and knows how to please a man~"

She returned back to guzzling his cock, managing a smug look at Hinata, whose eye twitched.

'_We've been at this for hours…and they're still competing…'_ Naruto sweatdropped, but found it amusing, and they weren't trying to kill each other, he didn't see a reason to stop.

Rindō, meanwhile, just sat there on her knees, dumbfounded at their passionate foreplay. Breathing a little heavily, her cheeks became flushed as her legs began to rub together, trying to mimic whatever feelings of pleasure the harem lovers were feeling.

Holding back the urge to whimper, she slipped her fingers into her already moistening panties, and began to touch herself, watching as Hinata got up with a glare. Before Hanabi could do or say anything in protest, she yanked his wet cock out of her mouth, before she slammed her hips down, facing away from their lover and shamelessly exposing herself to her sister.

'_Yep, it's that time of month for her I guess,'_ Naruto mused as he grabbed her tits from behind and kissed at her neck.

Hanabi grinned as she slid her tongue out, channeling chakra through it. Grabbing one of her sister's tits, she starts sucking on it greedily.

"Ah, Hanabi, Naru- ah~!" Hinata cried out, being pleasured from both sides and held onto Hanabi for support.

"Man, I'll never get tired of fucking you two, especially you, Hinata-chan," Naruto moaned as he increased his pace. "I don't have to ask if you're feeling good, since you're this wet already."

"Hearing that makes me happy, Naruto-kun!" Hinata moaned out, turning and kissing him from behind. "To be receiving your love, is just- Ahnn!"

"Of course she'll be your favorite. She's been chasing you since we were kids." Hanabi mumbled while still sucking on Hinata's breasts.

The kiss between them made the blond hornier, causing him to break it by rapidly pistoning into her. Hinata squealed loudly, falling onto Hanabi and catching herself, ending up being pounded in the doggystyle position.

'_My god! He's banging them like a seasoned pornstar!'_ Rindō thought, biting her shirt to muffle her own noises while twisting her own nipples. _'I knew I was close to Naru-kun, but not that close! Is this what I was missing?!'_

"Clamping on really hard here! You really want to get knocked up, huh Hinata-chan?!" Naruto grunted, doubling his efforts. He could no longer hold back anymore, and was dangerously close to cumming inside of her. "You sure you want a baby? I'm close to cumming inside!"

"Yes, I do! I want your baby! I want all of your babies, Naruto-kun~!" Hinata moaned, pushing back furiously, matching his pace.

Rindō's eyes widened, furiously fingering herself. _'Omigod, is he really going to knock her up right now?!'_

"Hinata-chan!"

"Naruto-kun!"

Naruto slammed into Hinata, groaning as he spurted inside her, his semen flowing directly into her womb. Hinata moaned loudly as her own orgasm hit her, squirting her juices onto her sister.

"So full. I'll definitely have your child, Naruto-kun." Hinata breathed out before collapsing, with Hanabi managing to escape before she fell on her.

"Oh yeah, she's definitely pregnant by now." Hanabi noted, and spied at Naruto's still-hard cock. "Ku-ku."

"You too, eh, Hanabi-chan?" Naruto grinned as Hanabi turned around, exposing her bubble butt towards him.

"Aw come on, nii-chan! Surely your great Uzumaki stamina has enough for this Hyūga ass?" she asked teasingly, shaking her bubble butt at him, her doughy cheeks clapping. "I might want a kid too, you know~"

"You little minx!"

"Aaaaaahhhhhhnnnnnn!"

Hanabi's eyes rolled into the back of her head, her tongue sticking out as she felt Naruto fill her maidenhood from behind, her buttocks deforming, flattening and rippling as his hips struck hers.

"If you wanna get knocked up like your sister, then I'll be happy to oblige, dattebayo!" Naruto declared, pounding Hanabi from behind.

"Ooooooooooohhhhhhhh, nii-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

They were so into it that they didn't notice their little voyeur slipping away.

…

_The next day…_

"Hey Rindō-senpai, you okay?" Sōma asked as she made her Apple Risotto. "You seem out of it today."

"Eh?" Rindō jumped when Sōma tapped her shoulder. "What's up, Sōma-chan?"

Her mind was far from her cooking, leading to some mistakes that had Gamsei on her ass all day. Then again, she did witness something amazing last night.

"Oi, Rindō! Three threes a what?" Gamsei suddenly called out to her.

"Eh? Uh, six?" she squeaked.

Gamsei face planted on the floor. "No, you idiot! What's up with you? You need a day off?"

"No, I'm fine! And nine, right?"

"Nine! Then get me three more alligator steaks, ya firecrotch!"

"Is everything all right?" Naruto asked, suddenly coming into the kitchen.

"Eep!" Rindō squeaked again and zipped back to her station. "Yep, everything's all dandy!"

"No, it's not." Gamsei growled. "Three alligator steaks, or fuck off upstairs! Got it?!"

"Yes sir!"

Naruto came over to Rindō's station as she quickly got to work. "Oi, Rindō-chan."

"Hmm?" she turned to see Naruto smirking at her.

"Enjoy the show last night?" he whispered, making her face turn beet red.

"Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhh~"

Rindō's eyes became swirly, with steam coming from her head as she fainted on the spot.

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, she'll need a day off Gamsei. I'll take over."


End file.
